


Festival of Sin

by copias_gloves



Series: Sathanas, We Are One [5]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Aromantic, Backstory, Blow Jobs, Comfort/Angst, Cunnilingus, Dark Past, Dirty Talk, Dom!Rain, Dom/sub, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Even more crying, F/M, Feelings, Fist Fights, Flirting, Friends With Benefits, Gambling, Group Sex, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kissing, Light Choking, M/M, Marijuana, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mirror Sex, Multi, Orgy, Repressed Memories, Rough Sex, Spit As Lube, Threesome - M/M/M, Wrestling, but not for very long, hey guess what more crying, oops more crying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2019-11-18 16:16:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18123572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copias_gloves/pseuds/copias_gloves
Summary: Once a year, the surface ghouls come together to celebrate their respective clans, as well as their favorite sins.





	1. A Little Inspiration

**Author's Note:**

> This story continues on from my previous fic, "Stay and Burn With Me". I would recommend reading that first if you haven't already, but it shouldn't be *too* confusing if you haven't. Just a few plot point mentions from that one. Enjoy~
> 
> Big thanks to @dying_deist for beta reading and catching all my typos XD

With another leg of their ritual tour complete, the cardinal and his ghouls returned to the Abbey for a much-needed break from all the traveling and performing. Although they didn’t have as much time to rest as they normally would; it was the time of year for the surface ghouls to come together and put on a great sprawling festival across the Abbey grounds in celebration of their clans, as well as their favorite sins. Since the band ghouls were so closely serving the Dark Lord, they were considered the highest-ranking and therefore they were all expected to help plan and represent their respective clans during the Festival of Sin. Unfortunately not everyone was invited. It was no place for human clergy members; the early years of the festival had proven that the ghouls simply became too uninhibited and dangerous for their more delicate counterparts. Siblings of Sin and acolytes were relegated to assisting with preparations only, but despite the restriction, there was plenty to do.

Ember was up late. He was alone in the living room which was shared between the band ghouls in their cloistered section of the Abbey, slumped into an armchair with one leg slung over the arm, a notebook on his thigh and tapping the end of a pen against his temple. He didn’t consider himself much of an artist but he thought sketching out whatever ideas he had would help when he needed to instruct others what to do. But he would need ideas first. And those seemed to be in short supply.

He was distracted, conflicted. During the previous festival, not long after he’d first joined the clergy, he had celebrated as a Water ghoul. Now Ember was primarily associated with his Fire clan ties, which was perfectly fine, but part of him wanted to participate in the Water clan festivities too. He knew doing both would be stretching himself too thin, and he was thin enough as it was. Ember tossed the notebook onto the coffee table along with the pen.

The sound of a familiar gait approached from down the hallway and Ember turned to look; Multi was beaming at him and hurriedly hopped onto the nearby couch, brimming with enthusiasm.

“Someone looks excited,” Ember commented with a smirk.

“Of course I am! Aren’t you? Maybe not as much, but this is my first Festival of Sin, it sounds like a killer time!” Multi’s energy was infectious; Ember swung his leg down to sit properly and leaned in with his elbows on his knees to listen. “I’ve been thinking of all these ideas, maybe we can brainstorm a bit together? I guess we have an advantage with two Fire ghouls, so we _have_ to make sure it’s the best part of the festival.”

“Well, one and a half Fire ghouls, but yeah, I suppose it is advantageous.”

“Wait, what? Why’d you say half?”

“I’m a Water ghoul on my mother’s side. I thought you knew that?”

“Whaaaaaaat?” Multi brought the heels of his hands to his temples, his expression almost comically shocked. “No fucking _way_ dude, I had no idea! This is seriously blowing my mind right now.”

Ember laughed. “But you know I that played bass before you joined, right?”

“Sure, but I thought that was just like, some weird thing, I dunno. That’s fucking wild, I can’t believe all this time—” Multi’s words halted, and his face shifted into blank look. Ember could practically hear the wheels spinning in his fellow ghoul’s brain. What he was thinking though, the skinny ghoul had no idea. Not until Multi’s eyes grew wide and he stared at Ember and said, “Oh fuck… the Water clan village… is that how… that’s how you knew where to put the portal…” Multi’s hands covered his face as he began to cry.

“No, Multi, hey!” Ember quickly got off the chair and knelt in front of the other ghoul. He gently held Multi’s wrists and pulled them aside so he could look him in the eye as he spoke. Multi’s guilt about his involvement in burning down a Water clan village in Hell was still so raw, and likely would be for years to come, but Ember tried his best to soothe him.

“I wasn’t from that village or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. But yes, I had been there as a kit. And yes, that’s how I knew where to have Copia put the portal to Hell. When you told me about it I was furious, but _not_ with you. That was all Cinder.” Even saying her name left a bad taste in his mouth, and Ember had to resist the urge to spit. “So when I went to go fight her it wasn’t just about getting her away from you, it was partially for my own personal revenge. I said it before and I’ll keep saying it until you believe it: _you are not to blame._ Got that? I don’t blame you for what happened. Not one fucking bit.”

The other ghoul was still in tears, their wet tracks making distinct lines down his face. Ember wiped them away with his thumbs, holding his bandmate’s face in his hands. He wished he could take that pain away from Multi, but he knew this would all heal with time.

“Come on, Multi, let’s not think about that right now. We have a festival to plan! This is supposed to be a time for celebration and happiness and enjoying each other’s company, yeah? Let’s hear those ideas of yours, because I’ve got nothing so far.” Ember smiled wide, hoping his words were enough to at least distract from whatever inner turmoil Multi was going through.

Multi took a deep breath and leaned his face into one of Ember’s hands, a silent display of gratitude. Then he pulled away from the skinny ghoul so he could wipe his face on his arm, sitting up a bit and clearing his throat.

“Okay… naturally, I think we should focus on Lust.”

“Naturally. How about Wrath too though?” Ember was relieved to hear Multi change topics so quickly. Hopefully that meant his reassurance had done something.

“Definitely, Wrath sounds good too, and that’s right up your alley, I’m sure,” Multi commented with a knowing smile.

“Mmm, you know it. So what were your lusty ideas then, hmm?”

“I was picturing a massive tent, all in red and orange silks, or satin, whatever we can get our hands on, really…”

“Go on, tell me the ideal scenario and we’ll figure out what’s actually doable later,” Ember encouraged him.

“Okay, so red and orange silks, a huge open tent, with like, candles and shit set out so it’s real romantic and intimate, and then we could have some dividers or curtains or whatever in case some ghouls are shy about it.”

As Multi continued describing his idea, Ember lightly rested his hands on the other ghoul’s knees, listening intently but also slowly letting his hands drift up Multi’s thighs…

“And we could have some of those champagne buckets, those fancy ones on like a stand, you know what I’m talking about?”

Ember nodded, biting his lower lip as his eyes flickered between Multi’s eyes and his mouth as he talked.

“Yeah, those, only they’re full of lube and bottles of water, because you just _know_ the thirst will be so real, if you catch my drift,” Multi chuckled, amused at his own joke.

Ember was still slowly sliding his hands up Multi’s thighs, and gradually inching his face closer and closer. “Oh, I caught it, don’t worry.”

Multi was either pretending not to notice Ember’s advances or too caught up in his own ideas. He carried on. “If we could get a bunch of decent mattresses to scatter around that would be great, but in a pinch I bet we could make do with some decent cushions and pillows. Ooh! We should totally have some incense too, I like when it gets a little hazy and it just adds that extra… you know…“

Ember’s face was only centimeters away at that point, far too close for mere conversation. With his thumbs he began massaging Multi’s inner thighs while he enjoyed the suddenly flustered look on Multi’s face.

“These are all great ideas, Multi,” Ember whispered in a husky voice. “Really, stellar stuff. But maybe…” He brought his face even closer, so that their lips were nearly touching, and continued, “Maybe we need a little _inspiration._ What do you think?”

Multi licked his lips. “I could go for some inspiration,” he whispered back.

Ember closed the remaining distance between their mouths with a fiery kiss as his thumbs convened to rub against the bulge in Multi’s jeans. Warm hands wrapped behind Ember’s neck to pull him in even closer. They continued to make out for a while, Ember pushing Multi back against the couch while he continued to work with his hands to get Multi good and hard, until the other ghoul was whimpering into his mouth. He finally pulled away but not far; Ember pressed his forehead against Multi’s and their heavy breaths mingled in the small space between.

“Should we uh… move to my room or something?” Multi offered. He rested his forearms on each of Ember’s shoulders.

“I don’t give a fuck who walks in, the Devil himself could show up for all I care. I’m going to blow you until you fucking cum. You have no idea how frustrating it’s been that I haven’t made you cum with my mouth yet.” It was true, Ember had yet to properly finish a blowjob with Multi and it irritated him beyond reason.

The other ghoul’s face was delectably flushed and his hips were making tiny movements to meet Ember’s hands still palming his crotch.

“Okay Ember, go for it. Third time’s a charm, right?”

 _It better be,_ Ember thought as his fingers started to undo Multi’s button and zipper. As he freed Multi’s cock from his clothing, Ember kissed him once more for good measure. Multi was more than ready for him. The skinny ghoul settled in on the floor on front of the couch between Multi’s legs, preparing to be there as long as was needed to get the other ghoul off, though he didn’t expect that to take too long given his abilities. Finally, Ember bent down and, locking eyes with his bandmate, grazed his lower lip across the slit of Multi’s cock. Something about it was just so _kissable..._ he spent a considerable amount of time pressing his lips against and around the tip, gradually bringing his tongue into play until Multi was squirming on the couch and starting to look desperate.

Ember grinned up at him wickedly. “Something the matter?” He began to stroke Multi’s cock lazily with his hand.

“You’re such a fucking tease, Ember, shit…” Multi complained.

“Hmm, that’s funny, your cock seems to like it,” Ember mused. He licked away some of the precum that had started to leak out. “You want more?”

“Yes… please…“ Multi thrust up slightly into Ember’s hand.

“How about this?” Ember bent down further to gently tongue Multi’s balls while he continued to stroke with his hand, causing the other ghoul to sigh with pleasure and grip the couch on either side of him.

“Fffffuck, so good,” Multi huffed as he tilted his head against the back of the couch.

Cheered on by Multi’s words, Ember licked a wet trail up the underside of Multi’s cock and finally took it into his mouth, sinking down over it in one easy motion until his lips met Multi’s pelvis and he heard a shaky moan. He held there for a moment, just to prove that he could, the tip nudging against the back of his throat, and hummed for extra oomph. Multi’s hands scrambled into his hair and gripped one of his horns, pulling Ember’s head up and back down at the pace he wanted. The skinny ghoul obliged, keeping that rhythm as he started sucking in earnest and resumed massaging Multi’s inner thighs.

“Sweet Satan, Ember… you’re incredible.”

Ember smiled around him, looking up to watch Multi’s open-mouthed panting and locked eyes as he picked up speed and added a hand to stroke in time with his mouth. It wouldn’t be long now.

“Just like that… fuck yes…” Multi was thrusting into his hand and mouth, still pulling at Ember’s horn and hair with a firm grip. “I’m so close,” Multi almost whined. Ember released his grip with his hand and let Multi fuck his mouth freely. After only a few more thrusts, Multi’s body tensed up and curled over him as he came down his throat, groaning in relief before slowing his movements to ride out his orgasm on Ember’s tongue. The skinny ghoul accepted it all gladly, satisfied with his work.

The grip on his horn shifted to the back of his neck once more as Multi pulled him into another kiss before Ember even had time to wipe his mouth and their tongues met in a lurid dance of cum and saliva. Ember moaned softly, loving the way Multi sucked at his tongue.

When they broke apart, Ember got up off the floor to join his bandmate on the couch and Multi refastened his jeans, still catching his breath.

Proud of himself, Ember grinned and snuggled up beside him. “So, are you feeling inspired?”

 

* * *

 

The rest of that week was full of hustling and bustling, meeting after meeting with the other Fire ghouls and Siblings of Sin to make arrangements and start setting things up across the Abbey grounds. Ember was in charge of organizing their Wrath celebrations, while Multi took charge on the Lust festivities. They worked well together, which made the whole process much easier, and Ember was grateful for Multi’s second opinions when decisions got tricky.

Just as Multi had envisioned, they had set up a large tent for Lust, though they’d picked out red and orange linens instead of silks, to allow for a bit more air to get in so things wouldn’t get too stuffy inside. They’d opted for electric candles too, not wanting to set the whole thing ablaze from one impassioned act of clumsiness; it might be a Fire clan celebration but roasting ghouls alive was not on the agenda. The effect of the electric candles still gave the desired romantic glow and a certain element of cheesiness that Multi seemed to love.

Ember’s concept for Wrath was a set of six fighting circles, with one large pit in the middle and five other smaller circles surrounding it. It was ambitious, and required quite a bit of manual labor from the ghouls and Siblings helping him out. They also had to set up some tiered seating so that those not fighting could enjoy and cheer from the sidelines. Ember was very much looking forward to this part of the festival, ready to have some good-natured, violent fun. Rather than simply overseeing, he was working right alongside the others, digging and packing down dirt, and helping to construct the multi-level benches.

By that Friday, the fighting pits were nearly complete and Ember felt confident enough to let the others finish up, so he decided to indulge his curiosity about what the Water clan was up to.

The Water ghouls had chosen a more remote area of the Abbey grounds, perhaps to get away from all the ruckus the other ghouls were likely to be making during their festivities. Ember wandered his way through the small thicket adjacent to the main building, the sounds of ghouls and Siblings fading away behind him. Sunlight trickled through the leaves and branches above, dappling the ground with greenish tinge, and the skinny ghoul breathed in the fresh air, feeling quite peaceful. As he neared the final line of trees, he slowed his movements, not trying to catch anyone’s attention. He crouched down to covertly peer into the clearing beyond.

It seemed the Water ghouls were just as ambitious as he was; they’d dug out a large rectangular area to create a pool, which was still being filled with fresh water by the looks of it. Beyond that there was a cozy seating area with a canopy above and countless cushions. They were all about Sloth, if he were to take an educated guess. He smiled as he watched those that were milling about, and he finally spotted Rain near the edge of the pool.

A few Siblings had the bassist surrounded and looked to be bombarding him with questions. Rain was overwhelmed, with one hand pressed to his forehead as he tried to think of solutions or answers to whatever they were asking.

Ember felt sorry for the ghoul, and part of him wanted to march right over and help out but he thought better of it; this was Rain’s responsibility, and if Ember interfered it could be seen as overstepping boundaries. Rain seemed to struggle with confidence enough as it was, and Ember felt like jumping in without being asked might cause even more loss of morale on his bandmate’s part. Ember chewed on a fingernail as he wrestled with his emotions and continued to watch the bassist stressing out.

A nearby acolyte noticed Ember and called out, “Hey, no peeking! It’s not ready yet!”

That made the decision for him. Before Rain could notice him too, Ember quickly turned heel and jogged away back through the thicket and returned to the Fire clan area.

When he returned to his room late that evening, Ember flopped onto his bed, worn out from a full week of hard work. He stared at the ceiling, idly wondering if Rain had been able to get everything together in time. The next day was when the two-day festival would begin. He hoped for Rain’s sake that everything would go smoothly, and despite his excitement for his own Fire clan festivities, he was very much looking forward to a good night’s sleep. He slithered out of his clothes, got under the covers, and drifted off to sleep.

For a while, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEE? Ember and Multi still get to have fun together :3 I know this chapter is a lot of exposition/setup, but it'll be worth it in the end (I hope haha).
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	2. A Friend in Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***CONTENT WARNING: This chapter includes the resurfacing of repressed memories implying past sexual trauma, though it's not described in detail.***
> 
> Ember's sleep is disturbed by Rain, who desperately needs his help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to @dying_deist and @asellas for beta-reading~ This was a tricky one and I greatly appreciate all of your input and feedback 🖤🖤🖤

Ember was woken up by the sound of insistent knocking on his door. Groaning, he looked at the digital clock on his bedside table: it was just past three in the morning.  _ Whoever that is better have a really fucking good excuse, _ he grumbled internally. As he stretched his limbs, preparing to get out of bed, the knocking came again, more like pounding this time. There was some desperation there.  _ It could be something serious, _ Ember thought, suddenly less irritated and growing more concerned. He pulled his bedcovers aside, got up, and bent to slip on a pair of boxers before crossing the short distance to the door. 

As Ember reached for the door handle, the scent hit him like a punch in the face. Whichever ghoul was on the other side of that door was in heat, and their pheromones were pouring out of them, filling the air with a cloying, tantalizing aura that left Ember a little short of breath. Lust stirred in his loins. He gripped the handle finally and pulled the door open.

Rain stood there panting, his forehead pressed against the door frame while the rest of his body tensed and shuddered from his overwhelming desire. The pheromones crashed into Ember’s room like a flash flood, bombarding the skinny ghoul and making him dizzy. Rain stumbled into the room and shut the door by leaning back against it. He looked out of breath, his chest rising and falling heavily as he stared at Ember with half-open hazel eyes. He too was just in his boxers, his skin flushed all over, and the erection he was sporting looked almost painfully hard.

“Unholy shit, Rain, how long did you wait? You should have told someone sooner, then it wouldn’t be this bad,” Ember chastised him. Tentatively, he approached the lanky ghoul.

It was like Rain wasn’t even listening, but he  _ was _ watching Ember’s lips as he spoke. 

“I want to fuck your mouth,” Rain growled as he lurched forward. 

Ember’s eyes widened; he didn’t think he’d ever heard the younger ghoul swear before, let alone in such an aggressive context. It excited him, he couldn’t deny that. But heat could make even the politest ghoul into a depraved beast if they let it go on long enough without seeking release. Ember had felt the throes of heat plenty of times in his life, less frequently now than in his younger days; but Rain was right around the age when heat phases felt like an all-consuming crisis. And if the sheer amount of pheromones was any indication, this was one of those times. Ember suddenly realized why Rain had been so stressed earlier that day; not only was he dealing with festival preparations, but also struggling with this… 

The lanky ghoul gripped Ember’s biceps, pulling him forward a bit before his long-fingered hands slid up to the tops of his shoulders to try and push him down to his knees. Ember didn’t resist; he dropped down to the floor and looked up at Rain as he reached up to place his hands on each of this bandmate’s hips. 

“I’ll help you, Rain, just try to relax,” Ember said as he soothingly ran his hands up and back down the lanky ghoul’s sides. He pulled the waistband of Rain’s boxers carefully over his erection before letting them fall to the floor. Rain stepped out of them and kicked the boxers aside impatiently.

Rain’s cock was incredibly red and upright, begging to be given some attention. Ember licked his lips in anticipation. He knew he probably couldn’t spend too much time teasing like he normally would; Rain didn’t seem to be in the mood for foreplay. So Ember just got right to it, slicking up the length of it with his tongue before taking him into his mouth. He started a steady pace and looked up into Rain’s hazel eyes. 

His bandmate’s gaze was almost predatory, glowering down at him with an intensity that Ember had never seen from him, or maybe just never noticed. It shocked him and thrilled him simultaneously, and as he sucked Rain’s cock he felt his own hardening. 

Rain grabbed onto Ember’s horns, stabilizing his movements so the bassist could thrust at his own pace instead. Ember loosened his jaw and allowed him to do so, finding his own pleasure in being willingly submissive. The skinny ghoul moaned around Rain’s cock.

“That’s right, I knew that filthy mouth of yours would be eager to please,” Rain growled. 

Ember’s face flushed, not expecting that kind of talk from the bassist who normally seemed so shy. The combination of hearing those words, feeling Rain’s cock slide in and out of his mouth, and the deluge of pheromones made Ember’s eyes roll back as he moaned again.

“Such a good little whore,” Rain sneered. He was dragging Ember’s face onto his dick at a brutal pace, his lips snarling as he grunted in time with his thrusts. The skinny ghoul stared up at him, wondering if this behavior was because of the heat or if this was the real Rain. Either way, all he knew was that he was turned on by it.

“Are you ready for my cum?” Rain asked between heaving breaths.

Ember nodded as much as he could.

“Will you keep it in your mouth and show me what a slut you are?”

Ember whimpered and nodded again.

“Good.”

Rain’s thrusts slowed slightly as he approached his climax, and then he was spilling into Ember’s mouth with a restrained groan, the lanky ghoul’s entire body shuddering from the release. Ember made sure not to swallow as the salty warmth filled his mouth, following Rain’s orders. When he was done, Rain pulled his cock out and tilted the skinny ghoul’s head back. Ember opened wide in an obscene display of obedience, Rain’s cum filling his mouth nearly to the teeth.

Rain peered inside his mouth, smiling, then patted Ember’s cheek. “Very good.” Then the lanky ghoul’s eyes fluttered for a moment and he seemed unsteady on his feet. “Fuck, I need to lay down…”

As Ember finally swallowed, still kneeling on the floor, he turned to watch Rain walk past him and collapse onto his bed. Ember got to his feet, wincing from the ache of being on the hard floor for so long, and joined his bandmate on the bed, lying down at a respectable distance. Rain’s skin was still flushed but his breathing was less labored, and for the time being his desire looked to be under control.

Ember spoke up. “While we have this brief moment of clarity before the next wave hits you, why’d you come to me? I’m just curious.”

Rain’s eyes were closed, but he opened them again as he replied, “This time it’s so strong… I didn’t have any time to take care of it because of all this festival stuff going on so it just built up and built up. And if I can’t control myself… I figured it would be less of an issue since you like pain.”

Ember blinked for a few seconds. “And how do you know that?”

“It’s no big secret really,” Rain said as he ran his fingers through his own hair. “There was that time your face got all messed up and nobody seemed to want to talk about how, and then on the tour bus you and Multi weren’t as quiet as you thought you were. Also Multi told me. So there’s that.”

It might have been the most words Ember had ever heard the bassist speak at one time. He was still trying to piece together how the Rain they all thought they knew was also this confident ghoul laying on his bed. But there wasn’t much time before the heat would cycle through again.

“Fair enough. While we’re on that subject then, sure, I don’t mind if things get rough. However…” As Ember talked, Rain’s eyes had closed again, and his breathing was starting to pick up speed once more. “If you’re worried you can’t control yourself, I’m going to need some guarantee that you’ll still be able to stop if I need you to.”

Rain’s eyes opened slowly and then fixed on Ember in that predatory way they had earlier. The lanky ghoul sat up a little and reached toward him, grabbing Ember’s thigh and yanking him closer. “I’ll stop when I’m fucking  _ done,” _ Rain rumbled, his voice suddenly menacing.

Ember didn’t hesitate to slap his bandmate hard across the face with an open hand. Rain’s head snapped to the side from the impact and the sound of it reverberated through the room.

With an angry finger, Ember pointed at the bassist’s face, and he told him off. “Don’t you  _ dare _ say that to me or anyone else, you got that? That is  _ not _ how this is going to go, and if you can’t convince me that you’re going to listen then this is going to get ugly real quick.”

Rain released his hold on Ember’s thigh to rub his face where Ember had slapped him. “Sorry, sorry, that wasn’t okay. I lost myself there, I’m sorry. I’ll listen, I promise. Please, it’s… it’s coming back.”

A rush of pheromones cascaded across the bed. Ember’s nostrils filled with the scent and he hummed with desire, any lingering concern washing away as it was replaced with a deep physical longing. Ember wriggled out of his boxers and tossed them aside before turning away from Rain and propping himself onto his elbows and knees, intending to grab some lube from the bedside table. 

He hadn’t yet reached the drawer handle when Rain grabbed his hips and dragged Ember back toward him. The skinny ghoul gasped and glanced back to see a long trail of spit fall from Rain’s mouth onto Ember’s asshole with a warm, wet splat.

“I can’t wait, is this okay?” Rain asked, visibly struggling to keep his composure and not let the heat consume him, as his thumb worked the spit around Ember’s hole.

Ember bit his lip and nodded. He was getting impatient himself, breathing heavily from the onslaught of pheromones and the feeling of Rain thumbing him open. Looking over his shoulder, Ember watched Rain spit again, this time on his own cock, and then his other hand worked the saliva over it. Soon after, Ember’s breath hitched and his hands reactively clutched the sheets as the tip of Rain’s cock pushed inside him. He really wasn’t adequately prepped, and the searing pain of being stretched too quickly made Ember yelp. Rain halted immediately.

“Fuck, Ember, are you alright?” The bassist asked.

Between panting breaths, Ember replied with a sultry backwards glance, “I didn’t tell you to stop, did I?”

He watched Rain’s face shift from concern back to that primal leer that set Ember’s insides ablaze. Rain pushed further in, filling and stretching him until he was fully sheathed in his ass and the skinny ghoul whimpered softly from the mix of pleasure and pain. 

The bassist leaned over him and muttered in Ember’s ear, “You’re a tight little whore, aren’t you? Let’s loosen you up.” Then he pressed Ember’s face down against the sheets and began pounding into him, hard and fast and with all the intensity Ember had been craving and unable to get (except maybe from Copia, but it was less satisfying having a partner simply listen to his thoughts). Ember drifted into a state of unbridled wantonness, moaning into the mattress as his bandmate fucked him mercilessly. It hurt so good, he was seeing silvery stars glint across his vision when his eyes weren’t shut tight in pleasure. In no time at all they were both sweating, the sounds of skin slapping on skin resonating throughout the bedroom and Ember didn’t care who heard them. 

Rain grabbed a fistful of Ember’s hair and yanked his head back so that the skinny ghoul’s spine arched, changing the angle of his thrusts and making Ember moan even loader as Rain’s cock rammed against his prostate. Rain’s other hand was gripping his hip hard enough to bruise him, Ember was certain he’d see evidence of it later. 

Rain was relentless, never slowing or easing up, and Ember was closing in on the edge. His cock remained untouched, dripping so much precome and making a mess of his sheets and blanket; Ember decided he’d have to take care of it himself. He reached down to stroke himself but Rain quickly grabbed his arm and wrenched it behind his back, then did the same with Ember’s other arm and held them tightly together in a powerful grip and shoved Ember’s face to the mattress once more.

“You’ll cum when I let you,” Rain hissed.

Somehow the bassist managed to fuck him even  _ harder, _ and suddenly Ember felt only pain, with no accompanying pleasure to balance it out. Fear coiled suffocatingly in his chest, and long-repressed memories began to slink out of the shadows of his mind. Ember couldn’t take any more.

“Stop, fuck, stop!” Ember cried out.

Rain’s thrusts stalled out right away, and he released his tight hold on Ember’s arms as he pulled out of him. The skinny ghoul hissed at the empty feeling, crawled away from his bandmate, and clambered off of the bed to stand on wobbly legs.

“Fuck, did I—”

“I just need a minute,” Ember cut Rain off and hurriedly crossed the room to his bathroom. He turned on the faucet and leaned over it to splash cool water onto his face. He gripped the edge of the sink and tried to catch his breath, banishing the unwelcome memories back to the dark recesses they came from. Ember turned off the faucet and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

From the doorway, Ember heard the soft shuffle of bare feet on the floor as Rain appeared. The lanky ghoul had a worried look on his face and a still-hard cock below. 

“Was it too much? I’m sorry, I…” The anxious tone of Rain’s voice was calmingly familiar, pulling Ember out of his terrible reverie.

“I’m fine, Rain, don’t worry.” It was mostly true. Ember was as skilled at pushing unwanted pain away as he was at welcoming it in times of passion. “I just got a little too worked up, is all. Come on, we need to finish you or you’ll be a complete disaster tomorrow.” Ember started toward the lanky ghoul, meaning to push him back in toward the bed but Rain grabbed his arms and stopped him.

“You’re absolutely sure?” Rain’s hazel eyes searched his face for any sign of trepidation.

“I’m sure,” Ember confirmed. The scent of pheromones was still strong, and standing this close made him feel lightheaded again. He realized then that he hadn’t yet kissed Rain; he wanted to know how he tasted, how assertively the lanky ghoul could claim his mouth… Before he could act on that impulse Rain firmly pushed him back into the bathroom and swiveled behind him, bending him over the sink.

“This way I can keep an eye on you,” Rain explained softly, running a soothing hand down Ember’s back. 

Ember’s skin flushed a bright shade of pink, which he could see full well in the mirror as well as Rain’s obvious effort to be a bit gentler with him. Ember rested his forearms on the counter and presented his ass with his legs spread apart.

“Don’t hold back,” the skinny ghoul instructed.

Rain locked eyes with him in the mirror and leaned over to stick his fingers in Ember’s mouth. The skinny ghoul understood the intention, lolling his tongue around and between them, making sure the bassist’s fingers were coated in his saliva before Rain pulled them back out and reinserted them into Ember’s ass. He was stretched plenty by now, but reapplying some slick was never a bad decision, and it helped ease him back into the sensation. Ember’s resulting keen of pleasure destroyed what was left of Rain’s patience; the lanky ghoul’s cock entered him once more, replacing his wet fingers in one fluid motion. As Rain rocked his hips forward, Ember moaned and braced himself more sturdily with his hands splayed out against the mirror. 

The bassist’s thrusts were still intense and quick, but there was a noticeably measured quality to this round of fucking that Ember silently appreciated. Gone were any fears that Rain didn’t have it under control. They alternated between staring at each other in the mirror and staring at themselves as they went at it. Ember made sure to bring out his most salacious sounds and faces, hoping to send Rain over the edge sooner; his release had already been postponed long enough.

Rain’s pace started to falter, his expression creased with exertion. He was close now. Ember took one hand off the mirror to touch himself, and he saw Rain’s hand reach forward, expecting the bassist to deny him again, but instead the lanky ghoul began to stroke him instead, finally allowing Ember’s pleasure too. The added stimulation had Ember nearly sobbing after being neglected for so long. He was certain the entire clergy could hear his moaning, and he simply didn’t care.

Rain doubled over him and clamped his teeth onto Ember’s shoulder. The resulting shockwave of pain sent the skinny ghoul hurtling over the edge with a shout of ecstasy and his cum spilled over Rain’s fingers and onto the bathroom floor. The bassist released his bite on Ember’s shoulder, pulled out and jerked himself through his own orgasm, grunting as he shot his cum in long white ropes across Ember’s back.

Aside from the smell of sweat and sex, as Ember caught his breath he felt clear-headed; the pheromones had dissipated, at least for the time being. The skinny ghoul straightened up and turned to face his bandmate.

“Feeling better?” Ember asked with a smirk.

Rain took a deep breath. “Much better. Thank you, Ember.” 

“Happy to help.” Ember grabbed a couple of washcloths and ran them under the faucet, handing one to Rain so they could clean themselves off. Rain helped wipe off the skinny ghoul’s back before Ember crouched to clean up the mess he’d made on the floor. Tossing the used washcloths aside, Ember led the way back into his bedroom. He stretched out on one side of the bed, expecting Rain to join him. Instead, however, the bassist continued across the room and picked up his boxers that had been kicked away earlier then slipped them back on.

“Alright, good night then,” Rain said as he headed for the door.

“Leaving so soon?” Ember pouted, rolling onto his side to face his bandmate.

“I should really go, I’ve disturbed enough of your sleep as it is.”

“Well what if the heat comes back?”

“I think we got through the worst of it. Anything from here on out I can take care of myself.” Rain made a dismissive jerk-off motion with one hand.

Ember kept his face as neutral as possible. “Suit yourself. Good night, I guess.”

“Thanks again, Ember.”

“Mmhmm.”

Rain left the room and closed the door quietly.

Ember rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. As satisfied as he was by the intensity Rain had given him, without some affection to follow it up, Ember was feeling a bit… used. It probably wasn’t Rain’s intention; maybe he didn’t even realize how it might make Ember feel to just fuck him and leave, with the haze of heat affecting him and all. Ember played it all back in his mind, wondering if he was expecting too much. But then he came to the part where they’d had to stop, his brain short-circuited—the memories surged forth once more. The skinny ghoul curled in on himself and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ember :< but I promise he's going to be okay. Eventually.   
> But yayyy Dom!Rain returns, and we'll learn more about him in the rest of this fic :3 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	3. A Water Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The festival commences, but not everyone is in attendance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My original plan was for this to break it up into 2 chapters, but it felt more natural to have it all flow together, so now it's a long one. Hope you don't mind ;D

Hundreds of ghouls and ghoulettes poured into the main chapel for the opening ceremonies of the festival, an infectious excitement crackling throughout like static electricity. As they found their seats in the long wooden pews among their respective clans, the sound of chipper organ music added to the jovial mood. Sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows to illuminate the tiny particles of dust dancing about in the air in such a way that made the whole space feel especially magical that day.

Once the majority was settled in, all attentions faced toward the chancel as Sister Imperator assisted Papa Nihil into his ornate, high-backed chair before settling into her own, more modest but still rather ornate chair beside him. Gradually, the organ music faded and the horde quieted, knowing there would be plenty of opportunity to misbehave over the course of the next two days. Cardinal Copia stepped up to the pulpit, looking very official in his red cassock. He raised his hands to further quiet the crowd of ghouls before beginning his address:

“Welcome, welcome, our lovely ghoulettes and ghouls! This weekend is all about you. You have served our Infernal Majesty well this past year. More devotees than ever have rallied to our cause, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all of you.”

Copia made a sweeping gesture with his arms, indicating the ghouls sitting before him.

“I have a feeling that some of you might think your efforts are only minimal, or that what you contribute doesn’t have any real impact. But I’m here to tell you that any act done in service of our Dark Lord is significant in its own way. While some of you might currently have a bit more of the spotlight,” there was a quiet murmur as the crowd understood he meant his very own band ghouls and ghoulettes, “those of you who do not are still an integral part of our efforts. Being kind to each other: that’s a service! Watching out for each other. Respecting each other. Being able to admit when a mistake has been made and acting to make things right again. All of these count as a service to our Master. You might think these kinds of deeds go unnoticed, but I assure you, they do not. The impact of such behavior extends far beyond our little Abbey. On behalf of the entire clergy, and on behalf of the Old One himself, I want to say thank you. All of you.”

The cardinal clapped, and the crowd joined in, the whole chapel erupting in applause.

Once the clapping died down, Copia continued. “In celebration of all that you’ve accomplished this year, I encourage you to come together.” A few ghouls chuckled at that, and the cardinal couldn’t help but smirk too. He resisted the urge to laugh and carried on: “Take this time to acknowledge and appreciate your unholy origins, your clan, and to revel in your favorite sins!”

Again the crowd burst into applause, excitement rising in the air.

Copia dropped his formal tone for a moment, adding, “I only wish I could join you… I hear you have quite an array of sinful activities planned, you naughty things you…“

The ghouls responded with even more clapping, along with cheers and whistles in agreement.

“I won’t keep you much longer then. Join me, if you will, in invoking our Master, so that he too can delight in your unhallowed festivities.”

The cardinal led them all in a prayer inviting Satan to join the ghouls’ celebration. When the prayer was finished, Papa Nihil stood up from his chair and crossed the chancel to the pulpit, where Copia lent him an arm so he could step up to speak into the microphone.

Nihil cleared his throat and leaned in a little too close into the mic as he said, “I hereby declare the Festival of Sin to have officially commenced! Go out there and sin to your hearts’ content!”

There was a piercing whine of feedback from the mic but it hardly mattered as the ghouls leapt out of their seats and broke out into thunderous applause and cheering. Nihil smiled wide, enjoying their ovation before waving and doddering off back toward Sister Imperator.

As the ghouls began to spill out of their pews and back down the main aisle to make their exit, the organ music started again to send them on their way with a merry tune.

 

* * *

 

With the festivities well underway, the Water ghouls were in their secluded section of the Abbey grounds, luxuriating in the large pool and canopied lounge area they’d constructed. Rain had drifted to the bottom of the pool, disconnecting himself for a while to reflect. The sounds from above-ground became muffled to the point of losing all meaning, and he closed his eyes and let his limbs float of their own accord.

The stress of the week leading up to the festival had almost completely dissolved. His heat had subsided, thanks to Ember’s help, and all that remained of it were fleeting spikes of arousal that were far more manageable. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like to _not_ be constantly consumed by such a deep-seated need to fuck. He felt free again.

And as for the Water festivities, it had all gone off without a hitch, at least so far. They’d finished constructing everything on time, figured out how to keep the water heated (which ended up being less expensive than he initially worried it would be), and there was talk of keeping the pool as a permanent feature on the Abbey grounds, which made Rain’s heart swell with pride. He was so grateful that his peers had supported his ideas, and had helped him bring them to life in such a magnificent way.

After a few more moments of contemplating his gratitude, Rain planted his feet on the bottom of the pool and kicked off toward the surface. Once his head breached the water level, the sounds of all the life around him returned in full force: his fellow ghouls chatting and laughing together, birds chirping, the soothing rustle of the nearby tree branches in the wind. It was all so serene. With the afternoon sun beaming down on his face, Rain smiled broadly.

“A smile looks good on you,” said a drawling voice to his left.

Rain turned to see who it was. They looked vaguely familiar, though probably only because he’d been working so closely with his fellow ghouls that week. Before the festival, his surface acquaintances were pretty much limited to the other band ghouls, the upper clergy, and the few acolytes who joined them for rituals.

Rain’s broad smile melted into a sheepish smirk as the other ghoul swam closer. Beneath their metallic face, they had skin the color of cinnamon. Dark brown eyes were fixed on him in an unmistakably flirtatious way. Rain wasn’t sure how to respond.

“You’ve done a great job with all this, Rain. This pool is simply sublime, I’m havin’ a fantastic time so far,” they complimented, grinning wide. “You can call me Bayou, by the way, I don’t think we’ve properly met.” They confidently stuck their hand out.

“Pleasure to meet you, Bayou,” Rain said as he shook their hand. They had a firm grip, and shook his hand with much enthusiasm.

“You know, I’ve been kickin’ myself all week trying to work up the nerve to come talk to you. I’ve been a big fan of your work with the band, and, well, now that I’ve seen you up close and all that, I gotta admit, I’ve developed somethin’ of a crush on you…”

Rain’s face immediately flushed, and his heart began to race. “Oh… that’s… uh, that’s very sweet…” the lanky ghoul stammered.

“You’re even more handsome under that uniform than I imagined,” Bayou added as their eyes wandered down and back up Rain’s form. They were coming in closer. “Are you seein’ anyone? I was hopin’ maybe you and I could spend some time together… if you’re free that is, o’ course.”

It had been quite a while since Rain had been approached so candidly, especially by someone he hardly knew. He gulped. _Shit, try to be nice about it, don’t say anything stupid,_ he told himself, trying to think of how he could disarm the ticking bomb of a situation. His heartbeat was hammering in his ears, and the urge to run away felt like a magnetic force, repelling him from the admiring ghoul. _Please don’t come any closer,_ he silently begged.

“I uh, I’m not really seeing anyone, but—”

There was a commotion as several other Water ghouls turned their attentions toward the nearby thicket and began murmuring to each other at whatever they saw.

Grateful for the distraction, Rain whirled around to look. Multi stood there, with a worried look on his face, in the open area between the trees and the pool. The first day of the festival was meant to be for each clan to celebrate separately, so the presence of a Fire ghoul, unannounced and without explanation, had the Water ghouls on edge, already beginning to crouch and take up defensive positions, as if Multi were planning to attack them.

Rain turned back to Bayou with an apologetic look. “Sorry, I need to go see what this is about.”

“No problem at all, sugar. I’ll be around…” Bayou waggled their fingers at him.

The lanky ghoul resisted the urge to shudder at being called “sugar,” and quickly pushed himself up out of the pool. He made a calming gesture toward his fellow ghouls to indicate that he would handle it and approached Multi, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back toward the tree line so they could talk privately.

“What’s up, Multi? You’re not supposed to be here…”

“I know, I know. I’m looking for Ember, have you seen him? He hasn’t shown up yet and I thought maybe he came here instead,” Multi explained.

 _Oh no…_ Rain felt a sudden pang of guilt and worry. “No, I haven’t seen him today. He wasn’t at opening ceremonies either?”

Multi shook his head, chewing his lip.

“Hmm…” The lanky ghoul had a feeling he knew what this was about, and the thought of it filled him with dread. He had to set things right, if he could. “Okay, I’ll go find him.”

“Are you sure? Shouldn’t you be here with your clan?” Multi asked.

“Don’t worry about the Water ghouls,” Rain said, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder. “They won’t be causing any trouble. You head back to the Fire area. I imagine your activities might need a bit more supervision than ours.”

That earned a small grin from Multi, and he patted Rain’s arm. “You’re probably right. Thanks, buddy, I hope you find him soon.”

“Me too…” Rain waved Multi off and turned back to the pool. His fellow ghouls were all watching him attentively, obviously curious about what was going on. Doing his best to ignore the bedroom eyes Bayou was giving him, Rain addressed the group as a whole: “Everyone, I need to step away, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please continue to enjoy the festivities, I won’t be gone long.”

_At least I hope not._

 

* * *

 

With water from the pool still dripping off of him, Rain stood anxiously outside the door to Ember’s room. He listened for a few moments, but heard nothing. He took a deep breath and then rapped his knuckle on the door three times.

“Go away.” Ember sounded grumpy.

“Ember, it’s Rain. Are you okay?” the lanky ghoul spoke up just loud enough to be heard through the door.

“Leave me alone.”

Rain half-considered respecting his wishes, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him. He tried the handle, and found it unlocked, so he opened the door and entered Ember’s room.

Immediately he was assaulted by one of Ember’s pillows flying at him; the skinny ghoul had hurled it at him, not unlike how he threw his guitar picks at Aether during their guitar duels. Rain dodged the pillow and shut the door behind him.

Ember was propped up on one elbow in his bed, scowling at him. “What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you understand? Fuck off,” Ember growled. He looked like he hadn’t slept well, and hadn’t moved from his bed yet that day.

“Everyone’s worried about you, Ember. They’re wondering why you haven’t shown up at the festival,” Rain explained, not wanting to jump into his concerns just yet.

Ember huffed and laid back down, pulling the covers up around to his neck and turning away from Rain as he curled into a ball. “I just don’t feel like it. Not in the mood for celebrating. Multi’s got it under control, I’m sure.” It was a weak excuse. Rain had been known to make his own such excuses, and he saw right through it.

The lanky ghoul took a couple steps toward the bed, not daring to sit on it or get any closer than was absolutely necessary. “Ember… did I… did I hurt you last night?” As he said it, he trembled, fearing the worst.

There was a long pause that felt like ages as Rain’s anxiousness boiled within him.

Finally Ember sighed and rolled back toward him before sitting up to look him in the eye. “Physically? Maybe a little.”

Rain winced, hating to think he’d been too caught up in chasing his own pleasure and had injured Ember in the process.

“But physical pain is fine by me,” Ember continued. “I can deal with that. Hell, I crave that. That’s not the issue. Did you hurt me emotionally? …Maybe a little,” the skinny ghoul admitted, his eyes lowering as his voice got quiet. Rain watched as Ember’s eyes went glassy. When he met Rain’s gaze again, there was a pained look on his face; it was the most sensitive expression he’d ever seen Ember make. “Why didn’t you want to stay?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

It was Rain’s turn to look down as he raked his fingers through his hair. The situation was worse than he thought. He took a deep breath and turned away toward the small desk. He grabbed the chair there and pulled it out so he could sit facing Ember’s bed from a safe distance. He gathered his thoughts, hoping he could express himself clearly and without causing further emotional distress.

“I’m sorry, Ember. It isn’t anything personal, I want to make that clear up top. While I do care about you as a friend, I don’t have… romantic interest in you. I don’t have romantic interest in anyone, ever. Not for lack of trying, mind you. I’ve been known to fake those feelings for people in the past, hoping that if I pretended for long enough I’d eventually believe it myself, and that only ended up creating more problems than it solved. Romantic feelings are simply not part of my hardwiring, or whatever you want to call it.

“I didn’t stay last night because…well, for one, I honestly thought you wouldn’t want me to, not after you had to ask me to stop… but also because I thought, in doing so, it might indicate that I was interested in more than just sex. I hope that doesn’t sound harsh. I think I misread things a little, and for that I’m sorry. I should have communicated better, instead of just assuming that we were on the same page. I guess I thought you also wouldn’t be interested in intimacy… just based on, well, the way you present yourself. Additionally, I was  worried that it could cause problems between you and Multi, but I’m not entirely sure what the nature of your relationship is with him. Anyway. I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you, neither physically nor emotionally. I hope you can forgive me.”

Ember sat in a kind of stunned silence, absorbing what Rain had said. It was a lot to take in, he was sure, and likely not the answer Ember had been expecting either. Nobody ever seemed to expect it. The possibility that someone wasn’t interested in romantic attachment always brought on arguments like “oh, you just haven’t met the right person,” or “you must be afraid of commitment,” among countless other responses that Rain was frankly sick of hearing. He could only hope that his bandmate would understand.

He waited for Ember’s response.

Finally, the skinny ghoul spoke. “Wow, okay, there’s a lot to unpack here. First of all, thank you for being so honest about it. I can’t say I fully understand where you’re coming from, since I’m actually a very affectionate ghoul myself, but I can respect it. I know I probably come across as pretty detached or cold a lot of the time, so I get why you would think I’m not interested in romantic stuff, but I was kind of let down when you didn’t want to stay last night. At the same time though, I wondered if I was expecting too much… if I’m honest I’ve been… well, struggling a lot, romantically, lately, and part of me maybe got a little too hopeful that your interest in me was more than purely physical or just because you needed to deal with your heat. How’s that going, by the way?”

“Oh, I’m fine, it’s pretty much gone,” Rain answered.

“That’s good. Anyway. Where was I? Romantic struggles.”

“Not to interrupt you, but what about Multi? I thought you two were getting along.”

“Ah, yes, Multi. We do get along. We get along very well. But where you, if I understand correctly, struggle with partners wanting more than you can offer, I’m on the other side of that. I want what partners can’t seem to give me. Multi doesn’t like the idea of hurting me, even if I’m asking him to. That’s another reason why I maybe got over-excited about you… you seem open to the concept of my desire for pain, which was refreshing for me to hear. At least until the whole lack-of-control thing…”

Rain’s gut wrenched with guilt once more. “I can’t apologize enough for that, Ember. I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t mean just you. I meant myself too. I lost control of my own limits, and I shouldn’t have let it get to that point, but I just… ah, _fuck,_ give me a second… ”

Rain watched helplessly as Ember dropped his face into both hands and looked to be trying not to cry. The lanky ghoul struggled internally; he wanted to comfort his friend, but also didn’t want to mix signals, after he’d just opened up about not wanting intimacy. Erring on the side of caution, Rain remained in the chair, frozen in place. _I hope I didn’t hurt him that badly… I’ll never forgive myself if I did._

Once Ember was able to compose himself, he lifted his head back up, but his eyes were watery and his mouth was downturned in a grimace. “Let’s talk about something else. So who’s the real Rain? This well-spoken, self-assured ghoul I see before me, or the shy, quiet, somewhat ungainly ghoul we see most of the time?”

Rain smirked at that. He sighed and crossed his legs. “In a way, both are me. Though I admit that I do tend to sort of… ‘play up’ my insecurities. I guess it’s just something I learned early on, I’m talking back from when I was a kit. If I acted more shy, or demure, or uncertain, others seemed much more inclined to help me, and they expected less. And I’ve carried on doing that throughout my whole life. I do worry about not being good enough, that’s genuine. But I know I’m also here for a reason. The clergy picked me, and that means something. Do I want people to think I’m insecure about it? Sure. It’s a balancing act. I simultaneously try to keep everyone’s expectations low while still performing as best as I can. That way if I do ever mess up, I won’t immediately get the boot. At least that’s what I hope.”

“I see…” Ember was looking at him with curiosity. “And what about in the bedroom? Are you always so… uh, assertive?”

This time Rain chuckled. “I would say so, yes, although not usually to that extreme. I think the heat was um… _enhancing_ that a bit. I guess acting shy probably doesn’t help to set that expectation. But it’s a little bit of a defense mechanism too. If I act shy and someone’s interested in me romantically, I can play it off like I’m _too_ shy and they back off. I actually just ran into that kind of situation at the festival…” Rain thought about Bayou’s advances, and hoped he hadn’t hurt their feelings. Though he had a feeling he hadn’t seen the last of Bayou yet.

“Hmm, sounds like a very Water thing to do.”

Rain shrugged. “Maybe so.”

“I only say that because I can be that way too. I think I sometimes put on a more aggressive persona than I mean to, in hopes that someone will pick a fight and maybe want to fuck after, I don’t know.” Ember shrugged too.

“How does that make it a ‘Water thing’ then?” Rain asked, raising one eyebrow.

“Well, I was raised as a Water ghoul, and I feel like I saw that kind of behavior a lot.”

“You were?”

“I can’t believe you don’t all know this about me,” Ember said, shaking his head. “I’m half Water ghoul. I played bass before you did, remember?”

Rain nodded. Ember had been incredibly helpful when he’d first joined the clergy, giving him feedback during rehearsals and making sure he was up to speed on all the songs in time for tour. “I assumed that was just due to no other Water ghouls being available. Or maybe not good enough.”

“Nope. My mother was from a Water clan, and I grew up with her, thinking I was fully Water too. My father was out of the picture, and she never wanted to talk about him so I assumed he died tragically and it was just too painful of a memory for her. It wasn’t until much later, when we were starting to train on element wielding, that I realized I was different. Sorry, I don’t know if you want to hear all this, I kind of went off on a tangent here…” Ember suddenly interrupted himself.

Rain gave him a beckoning gesture. “No, please, continue. It sounds very interesting.”

“Okay. So we were working on calling forth our elemental connections, and I wasn’t very good at it, honestly. I had trouble focusing, and I felt like it was a big waste of time. But we had to do this whole demonstration thing in front of the entire clan, and I didn’t want to be shown up.”

“Ugh, the demonstration. I remember that. If you think I was nervous for my first ritual, you should have seen me back then. Anyway, go on.”

“I bet. When it was my turn, I was so determined, and I thought, ‘hell yeah, I’m going to show them all what I’m _really_ made of,’ and just put all my energy into it, really concentrating. We were only supposed to move some water from one bucket into another, with as little spilling as possible. I ended up lighting the buckets on fire instead.”

Rain snorted with laughter, unable to help himself. The mental image was just too entertaining; he imagined the horrified faces of the stuffy elemental tutors as they watched the buckets become engulfed in flames. He wished he could have been there to see it. “I probably shouldn’t be laughing, but that sounds hilarious,” Rain commented.

“In hindsight, I agree, it’s hysterical. But in the moment? I was terrified. I thought I was cursed or something, by the way they were all looking at me. The tutors quickly put out the fires and sent me home right away, calling for an explanation from my mother. That was when I learned that my father was a Fire ghoul, and that he was still very much alive. I was so upset… I felt like my mother had betrayed me all those years, denying me part of myself, hiding it away. For so long, I had wondered why I felt so different from my peers, why I never seemed to fit in entirely… I’m sure a lot of ghouls grow up feeling that way but this was a concrete, external thing that I could blame. And I blamed my mother too. If I had known about it earlier, maybe I would have been able to cope with it better… so much could have been so different if she had just _told me,_ I thought.

“I demanded that she tell me where my father’s clan lived. Reluctantly, she did, and I packed up that night and left, my mother crying on the doorstep. I didn’t even think about how culturally different everything would be once I got there or consider _why_ my parents weren’t together anymore, none of that mattered. I was willing to take my chances. At least Fire ghouls were forthright, from what I’d heard anyway, and that sounded better than being lied to my whole life.

“When I arrived… let’s just say I wasn’t very well received. My father didn’t really want anything to do with me, he had his own family to take care of and he looked at me like some kind of runt. But I’d already made my decision to explore my Fire clan roots, so I stuck around in the village and tried to get on by myself. It was, uh… it was really tough. Not only was I kind of emotionally soft, but a lot of ghouls saw my size and assumed I was weak, and some of them sought to prove it. I hadn’t yet learned how to fight, or more importantly, how to fight back. And um… I, uh… I wasn’t…” Suddenly Ember’s words seemed to fail him, and he got a far away look in his eyes. Without warning, tears rolled down the skinny ghoul’s cheeks. Ember’s breath came out in short puffs of air.

“Hey, whoa, are you alright?” Rain asked. Dismissing his earlier concerns, he got out of the chair and sat next to Ember on the bed, wrapping his long arm around the skinny ghoul’s shoulders, which were now shaking. As if by instinct, his bandmate leaned heavily against him and openly sobbed. Rain rested his chin on top of Ember’s head. He didn’t feel very skilled at comforting others, but he hoped it would be enough. The crying continued for some time, and all Rain could do was be there for him, gently rubbing Ember’s back occasionally.

After a while, the sobbing slowed to shuddery sniffling. Finally Ember spoke up again, though his voice was very quiet and strained. “I’m sorry… I don’t even know why I’m talking about all this…”

“Please don’t feel like you owe me an apology. It seems like you might need to talk about it,“ Rain hoped he didn’t sound pushy.

Ember crumpled a little and he trembled some more beneath Rain’s arm. “Maybe I do. I think this festival shit just has me thinking about the past and… last night it all came flooding back… I haven’t even thought about it in years, and I’ve never told anyone.”

“If you feel ready to talk about it then by all means, go ahead. But if not, that’s okay too.”

Ember looked up at Rain, with his tear-streaked cheeks, their faces very close. Under different circumstances, Rain would have been uncomfortable, but he was so struck by Ember’s unexpected vulnerability. It felt very sacred somehow, like he was witnessing some rare eclipse; Ember’s usual glow of passion and liveliness was obscured by the shadows of his troubled past. Rain felt privileged, fascinated, and a deep well of compassion for his bandmate.

“I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it in detail,” Ember said quietly. He swallowed hard, and his grey eyes shifted to aim at some distant corner of the room. “But I can give you the jist of it. I was attacked. And I couldn’t defend myself.”

Rain was pretty sure he understood what Ember meant, despite his vagueness.

“And after that, I swore I’d never let anyone else, ever again, think that I was small, or weak, or soft. So I learned how to fight. I spent a lot of time alone because I didn’t trust anyone. And when I _was_ around others, I was basically a complete asshole. I was the worst kind of Fire ghoul, just all aggression and temper and no concern for anyone but myself and my own survival.”

It wasn’t terribly difficult for Rain to imagine Ember as a more feral, violent, hostile version of himself. They’d all seen glimpses of it from time to time. But those were only fleeting moments, normally. The ghoul leaning against him now seemed so far removed from all of that.

“So what changed? How’d you learn to balance your two halves?” Rain asked.

Ember paused to consider his answer, but not for long. “Music.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I heard about the clergy and how they would recruit ghouls with certain talents, so I taught myself how to play guitar. I approached it very methodically, focused on technicality, and at first it was just kind of a means to an end, my ticket to the surface if I got good enough, and I thought maybe up here I’d feel more at home than I ever did with either clan. But then over time, I figured out how therapeutic music can be when you’re not just playing it but like… actually feeling it. Then I began to enjoy it, and then I discovered what it was like to make _others_ enjoy _my_ music, and that just changed my whole perspective, you know? I wanted to learn every instrument I could. So I went back to the Water clan, this was years and years later, and patched things up with my mother and found an old bass someone was getting rid of and taught myself how to play. Hell, I even stayed with an Earth clan for a little while so I could learn drums too.”

“Wow, I had no idea you played drums too! How about keyboards?”

“Nah, never got around to that. By the time I could have, I’d already caught the attention of the clergy, and soon after that they asked me to join.” Ember looked up at Rain again. “Anyway, all of this has been my very long-winded way of explaining that… I understand why you might want to only show certain sides of yourself.” He gave a lopsided smile.

“Ah, yes. That’s what we were talking about.” Rain smiled back at him. “And now I get why Multi was looking for you by our pool. Oh yeah, I was supposed to convince you to come to the festival. But if you’re not up for it, I can cover for you.”

Ember sighed. “I guess I should make an appearance.”

“You guys picked Wrath and Lust, right?” Rain asked. Although each clan’s festivities were meant to be somewhat under wraps until the following day, when ghouls from any clan could attend whichever clan’s celebrations they wanted, word spread quickly, and hardly any of it was actually kept secret.

“Yep. Fighting and fucking. Speaking of fucking…” Ember gave Rain a meaningful look. “How would you feel about being friends with benefits?”

Rain tilted his head in thought. “I’m open to it. But I would need to feel confident that you won’t catch feelings. As long as that’s very clear from the start, then I’m all for it. Tell you what. How about you go to the festival today, have a good time, and sleep on it. If you’re sure you won’t get attached, then come find me at the festival tomorrow. Does that sound good?”

The skinny ghoul bit his lip and nodded. Then Ember’s expression softened as he asked in a hushed voice, “Can I kiss you?”

Rain hesitated. “Why right now?”

“I just… I want to express my gratitude, that’s all... Okay, _and_ I want to know how you taste.”

After another few seconds of consideration, Rain answered by closing the short distance between their faces, pulling the skinny ghoul in with the arm he still had wrapped around his shoulders. If anyone had asked Rain beforehand what he thought kissing Ember would be like, he certainly wouldn’t have expected it to be so tender. Though perhaps that had to do with the skinny ghoul’s motivation of saying “thank you.” It was very sweet, at first, but by the time their tongues met, Rain felt a little swept up, suddenly wanting to stay and fuck, to show Ember what he was capable of when his brain wasn’t wracked with heat.

_There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow, assuming Ember can keep things casual._

For now, Rain broke off the kiss. They had responsibilities to get back to.

“Come on, festival time,” he urged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME DAY EMBER WILL BE HAPPY I SWEAR  
> I made myself cry writing this chapter, so there's that lol  
> Also introducing my HC that Rain is aromantic! AroDom!Rain :3 I've been waiting a long time to bring this aspect of his character in, he's so complicated in my mind lol Hope you enjoy it, or at least better understand the previous events heh  
> I hope I can include more Bayou in the future, and I'm now considering doing a whole series of the Adventures of Young Ember in Hell. Let me know if that would interest you! But that wouldn't be until after this current saga is completed (speaking of which, I always wonder if I should be posting these as a series or not....).
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	4. A Fire Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ember finally makes his way to the festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being longer than I anticipated, and it took me a while longer because I had to write it while hiding in corners or using tiny font on an airplane XD   
> An uh... sorry for all the FEELINGS, they just keep happening, I don't get to decide, I swear...

As Ember neared the Fire clan’s celebration area of the Abbey grounds, the sounds of their festivities filled the air; he could hear grunting and groaning, the meaty slapping of skin against skin, and shouts of enjoyment, all of which mixed together so that it was nearly impossible to distinguish which side any given noise was coming from, the Lust tent or the Wrath pits. It made him happy, in more than one way. He had to adjust himself in his pants a little as he walked toward the Lust tent, spotting Multi taking a long swig from a water bottle just outside. The other ghoul wore nothing but a small towel, tied loosely around his hips for some semblance of modesty. Ember gave him an amused smirk as he approached, and Multi finally noticed him.

“Ember! Finally! Where’ve you been, man? I was worried about you,” Multi exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide to offer him a hug.

“Hey, Multi, sorry I’m late.” He stepped in, and let his bandmate pull him into a tight embrace. Ember wrapped his arms around Multi’s waist and pressed his face against the muscular chest he’d become so familiar with, and breathed in the heady scent of sweat on his skin. Being around Multi felt like being so close to home, but never actually arriving…  

“Everything okay?” Multi asked quietly.

Ember nuzzled against him a bit. “It will be.” He looked up to meet the other ghoul’s gaze. “You heading to the fighting pits at all?”

The half-smile on Multi’s lips told him before he even answered. “You know me, I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

“Yeah, I know…” Ember tried not to sound too disappointed. It had been wishful thinking. Not wanting to dwell on that, he pressed his lips to Multi’s neck, enjoying the salty taste of his lingering sweat. “Save some love for me then, won’t you?” Ember whispered.

“You got it. You be careful in those pits, please.”

“Can’t make any promises.”

“I’m serious, Ember. Have fun and everything, but you really shouldn’t go in just so you can get yourself hurt.”

Ember’s eyes narrowed and he stepped back, out of Multi’s arms. “Look. I know you care, and that’s nice. But you’re not my boyfriend. Don’t fucking tell me what I should or shouldn’t do.” Even as he said it, he knew it was too harsh, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Multi held his hands up as if in surrender. “Alright, no need to get your tinsel in a tangle. Knock yourself out. Literally, I guess, if that’s what you wanna do.” Then he tossed the now-empty water bottle to Ember, who caught it reflexively. “Could you throw that out for me? But, you know, only if  _ you _ feel like it, because apparently  _ your feelings _ are the only ones that matter.” He shook his head and turned away, heading for the entrance to the tent.

Ember crushed the plastic bottle in his hand, guilt and anger battling for dominance inside his gut as he watched Multi slip through the opening in the red linen. He reared back and chucked the bottle as far as he could with a stifled shout before stomping off in the direction of the fighting pits.  _ Well, we are supposed to be celebrating Wrath. Guess this is fucking perfect then. _

Several ghouls and ghoulettes who noticed Ember’s approach got very excited, others stepped out of his way, and a few even tried to challenge him, but he paid them little attention. His eyes were scanning the crowd for someone strong, a worthy opponent, maybe someone who  _ could _ knock him out so he wouldn’t have to think or feel anything for a while. The central, largest fighting pit seemed to be quite popular, so he squeezed through the clump of onlookers to see for himself who was drawing so much attention.

Down below, two ghouls were clashing, though the outcome was soon approaching as one ghoul was clearly overpowering the other. The surrounding ghouls were all chanting the soon-to-be-winner’s name: “Lo-gi! Lo-gi! Lo-gi! Lo-gi!”

Ember watched with rapt fascination as the massive, robustly muscular ghoul grabbed hold of his opponent, who, when compared to any other average ghoul would have been considered quite fit, but in that moment, looked puny next to this colossus. Logi lifted the other ghoul easily and benched him overhead as if he weighed next to nothing, and basked in the roar of the crowd for a moment, then heaved him across the pit to land with a painful-sounding thud, a small cloud of dirt kicking up around him. There was no referee; the crowd continued to cheer Logi on as the other ghoul struggled to move at all. At last Logi’s opponent lifted his hands up weakly in surrender. Logi roared in triumph, and the onlookers shouted their praises in kind while a handful of ghouls dropped down to help the defeated ghoul up.

“Can no ghoul match me?” Logi asked the crowd, his arms held out wide, an invitation for anyone who dared to challenge him.

It was hard to tell which motivation was strongest: the fresh anger from his interaction with Multi, his own foolish pride, his self-destructive tendencies, or even his Fire ghoul nature being stoked in midst of all the combative energy. Whatever it was that made him do it, Ember dropped into the pit to join Logi.

A shocked hush settled over the crowd as Ember walked toward the hulking ghoul. Now that he was on the same level, Logi’s height was even more impressive, he must have been a head and a half taller than the skinny ghoul, and probably triple his weight in sheer muscle. Ember could only imagine the how they must have looked facing one another, like some satanic version of David and Goliath.

Logi openly laughed at him. “You sure you want to challenge me, Ember?”

“Why, you scared?” Ember smirked, not surprised at all that a big ghoul like Logi would underestimate him.

“Scared I’ll break you, more like.”

“Go ahead and try, I’m tougher than you think.”

“Haha! Such confidence! Bring it on then, little spitfire,” Logi beckoned him closer.

As they squared up, the onlookers shouted with excitement. Ember rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck before getting into a slightly crouched position, locking eyes with Logi who was likewise settling into his own fighting stance. They began to circle each other, carefully observing the way the other moved, calculating distances and searching for an opening to make the first strike. 

Logi swiped with one arm and Ember dodged it easily, much faster than the larger ghoul, just as he’d predicted. Though Logi had the advantage of strength and reach, Ember felt confident that his speed and agility could overcome, as long as he played it smart. He had a plan. Logi lunged, going for a two-hit combo, but again the skinny ghoul was able to evade his attacks by nimbly darting this way and that, just out of reach. He grinned.

“Having trouble? Should I give you a freebie?” Ember taunted him.

“Are you here to fight? Or to dance? You haven’t even tried yet,” Logi retorted.

“Fair point.”

Ember lashed out, lighting quick, and landed a bodyshot to Logi’s ribs on one side. It was a solid hit, which seemed to surprise the hulking ghoul as much as his speed had. In response, the other ghoul tried some fast punches of his own, a flurry of blows, most of which Ember was able to duck away from but the last one extended further and clocked him hard in the jaw. Ember stumbled back as the pain blossomed through his face, sending his adrenaline surging. He recovered and smiled at Logi, ready for more.

The crowd was already going crazy, and even more ghouls had gathered around the main pit, abandoning whatever other fights might have been going on simultaneously. Ember certainly didn’t mind being part of the main event. Noticing this, Ember turned his back on Logi and gestured with his arms to urge the crowd to get even louder; they obeyed without hesitation. But even with the roar of the crowd he heard Logi approaching behind him, and he was able to sidestep out of the way of what would have been a devastatingly powerful blow. As Logi nearly lost his balance from his own forward momentum, the skinny ghoul took the opportunity to throw some rapid jabs into the other side of his opponent’s ribcage, further offsetting the big ghoul’s balance. 

Logi whirled on him and swung, faster than he was ready for, and popped Ember in the eye. A second blow followed soon after, but only glanced off his shoulder as he leaned away from it. Ember backed away, shaking his head, feeling like his brain had been rattled a bit on that one. A few more hits like that and Ember was sure he’d be out for the count, which wasn’t the worst outcome he could think of, but now that he’d gotten a feel for his opponent’s style, his competitive side had kicked in. He wanted to win. He was determined to win.

Inspired by the continued cheering from the crowd, Logi and Ember carried on jabbing and swinging, dodging and sidestepping, quite evenly matched despite the disparity in their sizes. Ember stayed light on his feet, and as time went on he noticed Logi’s movements slowing down, just as he had hoped. If he could keep wearing him out for a little while longer… 

But despite his slower movements, Logi was hardly giving up. If anything, he was metering out his punches more carefully, getting better at anticipating which way Ember would try to dodge. He baited the skinny ghoul into feinting to the right, then sent the other fist slamming into Ember’s solar plexus like a battering ram. The crowd gasped collectively as the clergy’s lead guitarist was knocked brutally into the dirt, wheezing and clutching his middle. Logi circled him, and distantly Ember could hear the massive ghoul’s supporters in the crowd cheering. The skinny ghoul rolled onto his knees and, wincing through the pain, got back onto his feet, though he swayed a bit more than he would have liked to. He waved as his own supporters applauded his tenacity.

Logi warned, “You really should have stayed down, you know.”

The word “should” reignited Ember’s rage, and he lunged at Logi, catching the big ghoul by surprise. He was fueled by all the emotional torment he’d been going through recently: his argument with Multi, the horrible memories from his past, the disappointment of Rain being yet another imperfect match, nearly dying in Hell, Copia’s mind games, Aether rejecting him… everything, all at once, blazed through his heart and mind as he attacked Logi with such unrestrained ferocity, the big ghoul had no choice but to go on the defensive, raising his arms up to protect himself. Ember snarled and growled while he threw punch after punch at any part of Logi he could hit. The big ghoul tried to swat him away, to get some breathing room, and Ember took the opportunity to dart behind him and leapt up, clambering onto his back, and slung an arm around Logi’s neck to get him into a headlock. Wrapping his legs around his opponent’s middle, Ember pulled tight on his chokehold while Logi’s hands clawed at his arms, trying to peel him off to no avail. The big ghoul swayed and stumbled around the pit in an attempt to dislodge him. Ember held fast. Eventually, Logi’s fingers fell away from his arms, and his steps became more erratic and unbalanced, until the big ghoul fell forward. Ember nearly got his legs crushed under the ghoul’s weight, but managed to change his position in time to be straddling Logi’s back as they hit the dirt.

Logi patted the ground with one hand, tapping out.

Satisfied, Ember released his headlock and stood up. He raised his arms in victory. The onlooking ghouls went absolutely wild, hooting and hollering and chanting his name, “Em-ber! Em-ber! Em-ber! Em-ber!” He stood there panting and soaking up the admiration for a few moments before offering to help Logi get back on his feet. Once he was standing again, the big ghoul clapped him on the shoulder.

“Sorry, big guy, I might have gotten a little carried away there,” Ember admitted. He hadn’t intended to make Logi into the embodiment of all of his problems, but as such, it was incredibly cathartic having taken him down.

“Whatever brought all that on, I hope for your sake you worked through it,” Logi said. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go tend to my wounded pride.”

_ At least he’s a good sport about it. _ Ember bumped his fist and then headed for the Lust tent.  _ Hopefully Multi will be a good sport too. _

As he stepped through the opening to the tent, the sights, sounds, and smells of enthusiastic fornication engulfed him on all sides. Surrounding the main support beam at the center was a large ring of mattresses, and nearly all of them were occupied by Fire ghouls and ghoulettes in every possible position going at it with unrestrained fervor. Beyond the central mattresses, all along the outer perimeter, were smaller rooms, sectioned off by tri-folding dividers, to give some privacy to those who were less ostentatious. These seemed to be less popular among the Fire clan ghouls, but Ember imagined they would all be filled this time the next day, when ghouls from any clan could join in.

His eyes roamed around, enjoying the view of all the writhing forms, as he searched for his bandmate. With the rush of adrenaline from fighting and winning, and the sensory stimulation all around him, he was already getting hard. That’s when he finally spotted Multi on one of the central mattresses, though only because Ember recognized the other ghoul’s lower half; a ghoulette was riding Multi’s face, while two others worked together to pleasure his cock with their hands and mouths.

The skinny ghoul stood nearby and watched them for a bit while he palmed himself through his now too-tight pants. Multi’s hands alternated between caressing the backside of the ghoulette on top of him and reaching down to acknowledge the ghoulettes down below. Judging by the way the ghoulette on his face moaned and writhed, Multi was just as good at eating out as he was at sucking dick. 

The ghoulettes tending to Multi’s cock finally took notice of Ember. He winked and brought a finger to his lips to signal them not to bring his presence to Multi’s attention just yet. They smiled in understanding and continued as if nothing had changed. Then he pointed to the one on the left, and gestured that he intended to switch places with her; Ember carefully added his weight to the mattress as she made room for him to take over her spot. Seamlessly, he replaced her tongue on Multi’s cock with his own. Now that he was in position, he and the other ghoulette licked and sucked together, their tongues occasionally meeting while they worked. After a few moments, Ember met the ghoulette’s gaze and tilted his head, silently asking her to let him take over from there. She pouted a little, but then slowly backed off. Now with full access to the hard dick before him, Ember set to teasing just like he had that night on the couch. He wanted to see if the other ghoul could recognize him by feel alone.

Meanwhile, the ghoulette on top of his bandmate was a babbling, panting mess, rolling her hips against Multi’s face and throwing her head back in ecstasy, screaming her pleasure out for the entire tent to hear: “Unholy fuck! Yes, right there, oh fuck, don’t stop! I’m so close, Multi, keep going, oh fuck, fuck, FUUUUUUCK!”

Ember grinned as he noticed the increase in precum dripping from Multi. He licked it up with the tip of his tongue, and kissed the tip slowly, keeping an eye out for when the other ghoul would notice him.

The ghoulette was coming down from her orgasm, breathing hard, when Multi finally poked his head around her waist to look at Ember.

“That  _ is _ you, I thought so!” Multi exclaimed. 

The skinny ghoul smiled at him and continued to tease with his tongue.

Multi ran his hands along the ghoulette’s thighs. “Sorry, darling, I have a prior engagement, hope you don’t mind.”

The ghoulette looked back at Ember and raised her eyebrows a little. “So I see! Well I’ll leave you to it then. I need a break anyway, heh,” she admitted. She bent down to kiss Multi before she removed herself from the mattress and, taking the other two ghoulettes in tow, left the tent.

Now that they were alone, Ember began licking and kissing his way up Multi’s torso, starting along the defined V-line leading to his hip bone, then across to tongue the other ghoul’s belly button.

“Look at the state of you… seems like you got what you wanted,” Multi commented, brushing a thumb along Ember’s cheekbone where his black eye was probably already beginning to darken. Ember sucked air in through his teeth, the tiny spark of pain fanning the fire of lust within him. “Who won though?” Multi asked.

“I won. Want to help me celebrate?” Ember had reached one of Multi’s nipples, and while he waited for an answer, he flicked his tongue over it until he heard his bandmate make a tiny noise in the back of his throat as he flinched at the sensation.

“As if you need to ask…”

_ Good, at least he’s not  _ _ that  _ _ mad at me. _ He’d been worried that their little spat earlier might have soured the mood, but apparently it wasn’t serious enough for Multi to reject him outright. Ember still wanted to make it up to him a little. He sat up and peeled off his shirt and got started undoing his pants.

“Shit, Ember, who’d you fight, anyway?” Multi asked, reaching over to run his fingers over the fist-sized bruise forming in the center of Ember’s torso. His touch was feather-light, but it still ignited the dull ache there, and Ember felt a wave of desire course through his body and his face.

“I fought Logi,” Ember answered as he quickly removed his pants. He searched around for one of the buckets that was supposed to contain lube and water bottles. He spotted the nearest one and went to retrieve some lube.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Nope. I fought Logi, and I beat him.”

“I don’t even like fighting but… damn, that’s impressive,” Multi admitted.

Ember was warming some lube on his fingers as he returned to the mattress. He planted himself between Multi’s legs and leaned over him, bringing their faces close together. “Yeah? You’re impressed? You want to get fucked by a champion?” He grinded against Multi, their hard cocks rubbing together.

Multi sighed and lifted his hips up to meet him. “Hell yeah. Bring it on, champ.”

Ember kissed the other ghoul hard. He could taste the ghoulette on his bandmate’s tongue, along with the familiar, almost-home flavor that was simply Multi. As they made out, Ember slid one of his lubed fingers inside Multi’s ass, teasing and stretching him. His bandmate whimpered softly into his mouth and it only made Ember want to hear more. He added another finger, a little soon, causing Multi to gasp and tilt his head back against the mattress with a low moan, his neck exposed to the skinny ghoul. Ember bent down to graze his teeth across the delicate skin there, and was delighted as the other ghoul shuddered beneath him. When the skinny ghoul curled his fingers up, Multi let out a wonderful little whimper that made Ember grin.

The skinny ghoul whimpered back at him, mocking him playfully. “You’ve been spending too much time around me, I think,” Ember joked.

“Shut up,” Multi chuckled, his face flushed with arousal and embarrassment. His hand grabbed Ember’s jaw and pulled him into another deep kiss. He couldn’t tell for sure if Multi had noticed the bruise on his jaw and gripped it intentionally, but regardless, Ember groaned with pleasure and responded by thrusting his fingers deeper inside, and Multi squeezed his jaw harder, and they were moaning into each other’s mouths until neither of them could stand the foreplay any longer.

When Ember pulled away, they were both breathing hard with desire. He sat up and lubed up his cock in preparation while Multi watched him with heavy-lidded eyes. 

“Are you ready for me?” Ember asked.

“So ready.”

He lined himself up and pushed the tip of his cock slowly inside Multi. “I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” he confessed.

“How long—ahhh, fuck, mmm, how long have you wanted this?” Multi asked through gritted teeth as he adjusted to Ember’s cock gradually going deeper into his ass.

“Since that first night on the tour bus when you asked me to sleep with you,” Ember said as he bent over the other ghoul, nearly all the way inside his tight heat. “I wanted you so badly,” he whispered, breathing heavily against Multi’s neck while he rubbed his bottom lip along it.

“Well now you can have me.”

A raw kind of want flowed through Ember, but he resisted the urge to let it take over. Multi’s submission to him was so willing, so easy, it set off some primal instinct in him to claim the ghoul as his own, to mark his skin so others would know, but this was not that kind of coupling. Instead he pulled back slowly, almost pulling out completely, then pushed back inside at the same gradual pace. Multi sighed underneath him.

“How do you want it?” Ember whispered, “Nice and slow? Or hard and fast?”

“Let’s go hard and fast, really give it to me,” Multi answered, a little surprisingly. Ember had expected him to pick the first option. Hearing that was more than enough fuel for Ember, who growled in delight as he began to give Multi exactly what he asked for. He snapped his hips forward and built up to an aggressive pace that soon had them both sweating and panting. Maybe it was the orangey glow of the electric candles, or maybe he was just caught up in the carnal pleasure of it all, but Ember thought Multi had never looked so perfect as he did then, moaning openly and writhing underneath him, coming undone and all because of him. Multi’s usual ready-for-a-marathon sexual stamina was crumbling before his very eyes, and it filled Ember with even more pride.

The skinny ghoul hooked an arm under one of Multi’s legs and pushed it up onto his shoulder, changing the angle so he could go even deeper, and the other ghoul howled with pleasure as he reached up to dig his nails into Ember’s back.

“Oh, Satan, right there… I’m getting close, Ember…” Multi huffed, his face twisted into an exquisite display of passion.

“Close already? So quick, Multi…” Ember teased, knowing full well he wouldn’t last much longer himself at that pace. “You might be the best at sucking, but I’m the best at  _ fucking. _ Aren’t I? Tell me I’m right,” he urged, and as he continued to thrust he rubbed his palms over the hardened nubs of Multi’s nipples, catching them between his fingers and pinching.

His bandmate gasped and curled forward into his touch. “Fuck, you’re right, Ember! Please, fuck, I need it…” Multi sounded truly desperate.

“That’s what I like to hear. Cum with me, Multi,” Ember whispered into his ear. He ran his tongue from the corner of Multi’s jaw all the way to his mouth, kissing him hard and his hand slipped between them to pump the other ghoul’s cock. It was so wet with precum, Ember hummed in satisfaction into Multi’s mouth. He felt this bandmate clench around him, and his own climax closing in just as quickly. He thrusted with everything he could, expending all the adrenaline and energy he had left, until they both moaned, breaking off the kiss to give themselves over to absolute pleasure as they came. Ember stroked Multi through it, cum spilling over his hand and onto Multi’s stomach, while his own orgasm filled the other ghoul’s ass. 

When they were both finished, for a few moments they laid there together, still intimately connected, each of them watching the other’s face as they caught their breath. They both had something they wanted to say, it seemed, now that their lust had been satiated. Ember kissed him softly before finally pulling out and reaching over to grab a couple of towels from a nearby rack. He helped Multi clean up before wiping himself off, then tossed the towels aside and laid down once more next to Multi.

They intertwined their limbs together into a tight embrace. Ember licked away some sweat that had gathered in the center of Multi’s collarbone before resting his chin on the muscular chest he so admired.  _ Out with it, _ he told himself. He didn’t want to delay any longer, for fear he might not say it at all.

“I’m sorry, Multi, about earlier.”

“Huh? Oh, that? Don’t even worry about it, I think you more than made up for it just now. Fucking hell, Ember, that was—“

“No, I acted like an asshole and it wasn’t okay. I’ve been… going through a lot lately... But that’s no excuse to take it out on you, when you were just trying to look out for me. I’m sorry.”

Multi brought one hand to Ember’s face, running his thumb over the edge of his black eye once more. The skinny ghoul closed his eyes and leaned his face into his touch.

“You’re forgiven, Ember. What’s been going on? Anything I can help with?”

“Just the usual: failed romance, repressed memories coming back, an inescapable feeling of loneliness… nothing I can’t handle,” Ember shrugged, trying to round it off with some humor, but saying it out loud made his eyes mist over.  _ Not here, don’t start crying here, not in front of the whole fucking clan. _

“Damn, dude…” Multi’s face shifted between conflicting emotions. “This might be crossing the line here, and in my defense, it’s already kind of blurry, if I’m honest, but… fuck, I just… I wish I could be enough for you.”

Ember stared at him, his heart pounding suddenly. “You  _ are _ enough, what are you talking about?”

“I mean, I wish I could be everything you need.”

“Multi…”

“I know, I said this doesn’t have to be anything serious, but I… I care about you, a lot. I know that pain is important to you, I’m not asking you to change that. And I still don’t think I can fulfill that for you… I don’t know what my point is here, just that I wish things could be different, I guess.”

Ember felt a lump in his throat and tried to swallow it down. “I wish things could be different too,” he agreed, his voice cracking a little. “Fuck, Multi…” He slid his hand behind his bandmate’s neck and kissed him, not sure what else to do. It was bittersweet, and full of yearning for some alternate reality. They carried on for as long as Ember dared, but when he felt the tears rolling down his face he pulled back, quickly wiping them away before anyone else could see. “I need to go, I can’t… be here like this.” He hurriedly untangled himself from Multi’s limbs and started pulling his clothes back on.

Multi could only sit up and watch him, looking forlorn. “Do you want some company, or…?” He didn't, or maybe couldn’t, finish the rest of that question.

Ember did want company, but before he could answer, the ghoulettes from before had returned, seeing their chance to rejoin Multi on the mattress. The three ladies giddily bounced onto the bed, completely oblivious to, or possibly ignoring, the tension between the two ghouls in that moment.

“Hope you’re ready for another round, Multi,” one ghoulette purred. 

Multi didn’t acknowledge her, he was still eyeing Ember, waiting for his answer.

Ember gave him a weak smile. It was probably for the best; their feelings for each other were getting messy, and the best solution Ember could think of was to spend some time apart. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was better than one or both of them getting hurt by continuing on the way they were currently. He patted Multi’s leg.

“You stay here and have fun. I’ll be fine.”

“Ember…”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, probably.”

“Probably?”

“Okay, I’ll  _ definitely _ see you tomorrow, is that better? Now stop worrying about me and start worrying about these lovely ladies you’re ignoring,” Ember said, putting on a broader smile as he gestured toward the three ghoulettes. He finished getting dressed and stood up. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said with a wink.

“I doubt that’s a very long list,” a ghoulette said, giggling.

“Exactly.”

 

* * *

 

Back in the band ghouls’ section of the Abbey, it was abnormally quiet, as the others were all still celebrating, and likely to continue doing so well into the early hours of the morning. Sometimes festivities raged on until dawn. Ember wished he had the energy, but he was completely drained. Physically, he felt incredibly satisfied; the soreness of his bruises was a constant reminder of his triumph over Logi, and his lust had been well and truly quenched. He took a scalding-hot shower, soothing his aching muscles and washing away the sweat from fucking and fighting, then toweled off and flopped onto his bed with his hair still wet.

In the unusual silence, Ember let his mind wander, and it drifted predictably to thoughts of Multi, and of Rain, and even Aether, whom he’d barely talked to recently. The flood of emotions rose up again, and he didn’t hold back his tears. He felt broken. Why did he have to need pain the way he did? He knew the answer to that, and he desperately wished his life had been different so that wasn’t the case. Maybe if he’d stayed in the Water clan village, he could just be a normal Water ghoul and find love like everyone else… except not everyone wanted love. Not Rain, anyway. 

_ Maybe I should just give up on love for a while. _ It didn’t seem to be in the cards for him anyway, and searching for it was proving to be more painful than just being alone.

And alone he was. He rolled into his side and curled into a ball. He wondered what it would be like to come back to somebody each night, somebody who understood him and accepted him and made him feel safe and loved and wanted…

Somebody who felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write, since it had a little bit of everything. Hope you enjoyed it! I can't wait to write the next chapter, it's time for these ghouls to check out each other's festivities ^___^
> 
> Sidenote: "Logi" is "flame" in Icelandic :)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates! 🖤🖤🖤


	5. A Good Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ember makes his way around the entire festival, visiting each of the other clans' celebrations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE WAIT this chapter just wanted to keep on going, and who am I to say no to these ghouls? I think it'll be worth it though... 😏  
> Big big thanks to @dying_deist and @Asellas for beta reading!! 🖤🖤🖤

AETHER

Ember woke after what seemed like having slept for a thousand years. It wasn’t as though his problems had evaporated, but he did feel marginally more prepared to deal with them. He was actually looking forward to the day’s events; the second day of the Festival of Sin was when they could all attend whichever clan’s celebrations they chose, and Ember had his route all decided. He wanted to stop by and see what every clan was up to.

He’d decided to start with the Aether ghouls. In the event that Aether was there and there was still some lingering awkwardness, he wanted to get that out of the way first. They hadn’t properly discussed what had happened between them; Ember was nervous about how he would react if he had to be around Aether for an extended period of time. He liked to think he’d be cool about it, but his emotions had been so volatile lately that he couldn’t trust himself to keep it together. Small talk was fine here and there, when the rest of the band was around. Maybe at the festival, surrounded by all the other ghouls, it wouldn’t be so bad either. He could only hope for the best.

The Aether ghouls had set up a nice little outdoor stage to celebrate both Pride and Envy simultaneously in the form of an ongoing talent show. The stage had a sign-up sheet on one side where anyone could put their name on the list and show off their stuff, whatever talent they were most proud of, while the crowd watched with envy. Ember scrawled his name on the list, since this early in the day it wasn’t too filled up yet and he was always eager for an opportunity to show off. While he skimmed the list of those performing ahead of him, he noticed, written an elegant hand, the names “Cirrus & Cumulus.” He looked up from the list and searched for them in the crowd, spotting them not too far off. 

The skinny ghoul trotted over to the ghoulettes and gave each of them a little squeeze around the waist as they pulled him in between them. He’d hardly seen the lionesses the entire week, and immediately their presence lifted his spirits. He smiled broadly at each of them in turn.

“Enjoying yourselves, ladies?”

“So far so good!” Cumulus answered cheerfully.

“How about you, Ember? Staying out of trouble?” Cirrus asked with a knowing smirk.

“Oh, you know me, can’t get enough of the stuff,” he joked.

Cumulus reached over to tap his cheekbone gently. “That’s a wicked shiner you’ve got there, bud.”

“Heh, yeah, had a good brawl in the pit yesterday. Will you two be stopping by the Fire festivities today?”

“We might make an appearance, though I don’t think either of us will be doing any fighting…” Cirrus said, eyeing Cumulus for confirmation.

“Speak for yourself! I could take down a few ghouls, you wait and see!” The shorter ghoulette brandished her fists in a pugilist style and threw some playful jabs at Ember’s stomach. He chuckled, but when she hit the bruise in the center of his torso he winced and took a half step backward, holding out his arms in defense.

“Easy, tiger, save it for the pit.”

Cumulus giggled deviously, pleased with herself.

It wasn’t long until the ghoulettes were called to the stage. Ember pushed his way to the front of the crowd so he could get a better view. A nostalgic-sounding ballad started to play over the loudspeakers, and his two bandmates stood in the center facing each other with their hands clasped together. When the music swelled, the ghoulettes began to dance. Ember couldn’t tell whether they had choreographed it ahead of time or not, but their movements were well-practiced and graceful, and he was utterly captivated as they swayed and spun and glided around the stage. Although their skills were stunning, what struck him the most was how clearly bonded they were; they trusted each other implicitly, and the connection between them was was unmistakable and deep. As he watched them, unblinking, he realized their Pride showcase wasn’t about dancing at all.

It was about love. And he felt the pang of Envy in his chest.

When their number was finished, Ember clapped as hard as he could along with the crowd of ghouls who had the honor of witnessing their lovely display. The ghoulettes bowed together and shuffled off the stage to make room for the next performance. They immediately rejoined Ember in the crowd, energized by the adoration from their peers.

“So what’d ya think?” Cumulus asked eagerly.

“I doubt that sort of thing is your style, but I hope you enjoyed it a little, at least,” Cirrus added.

Ember took one of each of their hands in his as he said, sincerely, “I thought it was exquisite.”

“Aww, Ember, that’s so sweet!” Cumulus threw her arms around him and squeezed his body so hard he felt short of breath. She really was stronger than he had imagined.

Meanwhile, Cirrus was standing there looking a little shocked. “Wow, thank you,” she uttered, “Really, thank you. I was not expecting you to say that.”

“I meant what I said. What you two have is very special. Cherish it.”

“Get in here and help me squeeze the life out of this ghoul before he makes me CRY!” Cumulus demanded, releasing half of her hold on him to invite Cirrus to join. Cirrus stepped in and hugged him too. 

Unexpectedly, she gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. Cumulus noticed and exclaimed, “Oh! Me too! Me too!” before smashing her lips against his other cheek, smooching him with an exaggerated “Muuuuuuah!”

Although he appreciated it, Ember chuckled and gently wormed his way out of their onslaught of affection. “Alright, alright, enough of that, I have a reputation to maintain, you know.”

The ghoulettes released their hold on him, and together the three of them watched the next few performances before Ember’s turn came up. He hopped onto the stage and examined the rack of available instruments for performers to utilize. He reached for a standard guitar, but then changed his mind last minute and grabbed the electro flamenco guitar instead. He dragged a chair with him to the center of the stage, sat down, crossed his legs, and strummed a few quick chords to check the tuning. Satisfied, he began to play.

While he often got to share his ability to play both electric and acoustic guitars during rituals, he rarely got to show off his skills on nylon strings. He relished the chance, his fingers deftly shifting around on the fretboard. He started with quick, bright phrases separated by dramatic pauses, eyeing the crowd each time to make sure they were paying attention; the ghouls before him were staring wide-eyed at the stage, some of them with their jaws hanging open, not expecting this style of playing, including Cirrus and Cumulus. Once he was certain he had the crowd’s full attention, he dove into his performance and allowed himself to get lost in the improvisations. The music flowed through him easily, that healing force which had saved him from completely self-destructing down in Hell all those years ago. If his fight with Logi had let him work through all of his recent issues, this performance was a salve to help close those emotional wounds, repairing his soul and restoring his will to carry on. He’d survived this long, and acknowledging that gave him some peace of mind that he’d be able to survive whatever else life decided to throw at him. He was strong.

He finished his song with an slow, soothing melody that gently faded out as a reflection of the solace that music brought him. When he finally stopped, he stood up and bowed deeply while the audience of ghouls broke into thunderous applause. He could hear Cumulus screaming up at him, “BRAVO! BRAVO EMBER!!” and he smiled.

 

AIR & EARTH

 

The ghoulettes decided to escort Ember to his next stop, which just so happened to be the Air clan’s festivities. Cumulus and Cirrus eagerly pulled him along, excited to show him the results of all their hard work. Unlike the other clans, the Air ghouls had opted to hold their celebrations indoors. The three of them entered the Abbey and headed down to the cellar. In the cool, dark underbelly of the clergy’s main building, the Air ghouls were celebrating Greed with their own little casino, complete with numerous tables for card games and dice games. The added benefit of being in the cellar was proximity to the clergy’s horde of libations: wine, absinthe, and countless other spirits were readily available to fulfill the ghouls’ Gluttony. Even though it was early in the afternoon, the casino was lively and rambunctious. Cirrus and Cumulus left Ember to his devices, as they wanted to head to the Water ghouls’ festivities next. 

Ember wasn’t normally one to drink in excess, but given it was a celebration he thought he’d make an exception. He grabbed a small glass of aquavit and sipped it as he wandered around the floor. He didn’t dare join any of the games himself, as he was terrible at gambling; his competitive nature always made him too brash, too confident, and he’d end up losing everything far too quickly. Best to keep his money where it was. He did, however, enjoy watching his fellow ghouls gamble, the way they cheered when they rolled the right number and the way they groaned when their cards weren’t as good as they thought.

By the time his second glass of aquavit was empty, the skinny ghoul was swaying. He hadn’t eaten anything yet that day and the alcohol had hit him harder than he anticipated.  _ Fuck, I better get some food. _ Luckily, he’d already planned to go to the Earth ghoul area after that. Setting his empty glass on a nearby table, he tottered upstairs and headed back outside.

The Earth ghouls were also celebrating Gluttony, and had set up outside near the Abbey kitchen. A seemingly endless banquet table sprawled across the lawn and was so laden with dishes upon dishes of food that Ember thought it might collapse from the weight of it all. His stomach growled as if in response to the sight of their spread. Cuisine from every clan was available, and Ember filled a tray, wanting to sample them all. From the Earth clan he grabbed a vast assortment of fruits and steamed vegetables, from the Water clan a bowl of noodle soup in a salty broth and roasted fish, from the Air clan several herbed breads and luscious desserts, from the Aether clan a strange, gelatinous dish that was wholly unrecognizable and uniquely aromatic, and from the Fire clan a heaping helping of spicy seared meats, the likes of which he hadn’t tasted since he’d joined the clergy. With his tray well and truly full, he looked around for an open spot to sit and dig in.

He located an open picnic table on the far end, and as he made his way over to it, he spotted Mountain. The tall ghoul was alone, leaning against the outside wall of the Abbey, a plume of smoke curling up from his mouth and dissipating in the gentle breeze. Intrigued and still quite tipsy, Ember set his tray down on the table and wandered over to the drummer. As he got nearer, the pungent smell of weed hit his nostrils.  _ Maybe he has a secret stash somewhere…  _

“Hey Mountain, you wouldn’t happen to have some to share would you?” Ember asked.

Mountain was mid-drag on what was left of his joint, and his eyes widened; apparently he hadn’t noticed the skinny ghoul’s approach until he spoke; maybe he’d been lost in a daydream. The drummer inhaled deeply. “ _ Shit, come here _ ,” he replied, his voice muffled with the smoke he was trying to keep in. He waved his hand emphatically for Ember to get closer.

Ember stepped forward a bit more. The drummer leaned toward him and lightly grabbed his shoulder to pull him in even closer, their faces suddenly close enough to kiss. Ember’s pulse quickened, not expecting this kind of intimate exchange, but he had no time to contemplate it as Mountain’s lips parted. Ember opened his mouth so the tall ghoul could shotgun the smoke to him, and he inhaled as much as he could. For the briefest moment, their lips brushed against each other, and although it seemed unintentional, there was a fluttery feeling in his stomach.  _ Why have I never noticed how green his eyes are? _ Ember wondered, before immediately derailing that train of thought.  _ It’s probably just the aquavit. Calm down, for fuck’s sake. Don’t keep falling for every fucking ghoul you see. _

Having exhaled fully, Mountain stood up straight again while Ember held the smoke in for as long as he could.

“Sorry, this one’s pretty much done. I can go grab some more though if you want,” Mountain said as he held up the joint pinched between his thumb and forefinger, showing just how little was left as he flicked the cherry off.

Ember finally let the smoke escape, coughing a little into his hand. “Ooh, that’s nice. Sure. I mean, yes please, if you don’t mind.” Even from such a small amount, he was already feeling a little floaty and warm. 

“No problem. I’ll be right back!” The tall ghoul gave him a pat on the shoulder and jogged away toward the entrance to the kitchen.

In the meantime, Ember eyed his tray of food, wondering if he should eat some while he waited or hold off until he was properly high.  _ It’ll taste even better if I wait, _ he decided, so he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall just like Mountain had. Involuntarily, his thoughts drifted back to the calming, jade hue of Mountain’s eyes, and the delicate touch of his lips against Ember’s… the skinny ghoul shook his head in frustration.

_ Stop right there. It wasn’t even like that. Knock it off. You’re just lonely, _ he berated himself. He chewed his lip and busied himself by watching all the other ghouls feasting at the picnic tables, laughing together and complaining about how full they were.

A few minutes later, Mountain returned, long legs striding toward Ember. As he ran his tongue across the rolling paper of the fresh joint he’d prepared, Ember was transfixed. Realizing he was staring at the drummer’s mouth, he forced himself to look away, as if the trees on the far end of the grounds were suddenly terribly interesting. Mountain finished rolling the joint and offered it to Ember.

“You want first dibs?”

“Sure. Thanks,” the guitarist answered. He took it and set it between his lips as Mountain procured a lighter and held the flame in front of it, his free hand shielding against the breeze so he could light the joint for him. Ember took a long drag, slowly pulling the fragrant smoke into his mouth. Then he inhaled deeper to hold it in his lungs while he passed the joint back to Mountain, who was smiling softly and watching the skinny ghoul.

“It’s a nice strain, huh? I’ve been working on this one for a while,” the drummer expressed before taking his own long drag.

Ember let the smoke slowly waft out of his mouth for a moment, enjoying the thick cloud curling up in front of his face before he exhaled the rest of it normally. “It really is.”

The two of them passed the joint back and forth, making small talk, until they’d smoked it down completely. By then Ember was properly stoned, and still a little drunk, and he couldn’t suppress his giggle as he wobbled a bit on his way to the picnic table where his tray of food remained untouched. Mountain sat across from him.

“Fuck, I’m  _ starving,” _ the skinny ghoul confessed.

“Yeah, that’ll happen, heh.” Mountain was watching him with obvious interest.

“Okay, I  _ have _ to try this first,” Ember announced as he jabbed a fork into a chunk of the Fire-clan-style meat. As he brought it to his mouth the smell of it elicited a strong wave of nostalgia, pleasant memories of his days before coming to the surface. He popped the entire chunk in his mouth and the spiciness set his tongue ablaze in the best way. He groaned contentedly and lightly pounded his fist on the table a few times, savoring the taste of it.

“You like it?” the drummer asked.

Ember nodded, smiling. Still chewing, he answered, “It’s sinful how good this is. Seriously, it’s  _ exactly _ like we used to have it back in Hell.”

Mountain was beaming at him. “I’m so glad to hear you say that.”

_ Shit, his smile is really nice too… _ Ember quickly made himself continue the conversation, lest he get stuck in his head. “How’d you get all this authentic food? Does Hell do catering?” he asked with a grin before shoveling more food into his mouth.

“Oh, I’ve always been interested in other clans’ cuisines, and this was the perfect opportunity to make all the stuff I’ve always wanted to.”

Ember stopped chewing. He stared at his bandmate in awe. “You made  _ all of this?” _

“Most of it, yeah, but it’s definitely been a group effort. The other Earth ghouls helped with the simpler stuff I didn’t have time to do myself. To be honest, it’s been kind of stressful, so I needed a little break like this.”

“Unholy shit… Mountain, you’re incredible,” the skinny ghoul blurted out.  _ Wow, real fucking subtle. COOL IT. _ Ember dropped his gaze and stuffed his face with more food to prevent himself from saying anything else. When he looked back up at his bandmate, the drummer’s smile had returned in full force, and his cheeks were noticeably pink.

“Wow, thanks Ember. I just love to cook, is all,” the tall ghoul said.

“Well it shows. This all tastes amazing.”

“I’m really happy you think so. Makes all the effort worth it.” After a short pause, Mountain asked, “So how’ve you been?”

Ember wasn’t sure how he should answer that. He didn’t want to ruin the nice mood they had going by getting into all the shit that had been happening (and not happening). He poked his fork at the strange Aether clan dish and watched it wobble for a moment, hesitant to try it. “I’ll spare you the details, but I’m doing better than I was.”

The drummer’s head tilted a little. “I see… well, like I told you that day in the practice room, if you ever need to talk to someone, I’m a good listener.”

Those jade green eyes of his were fixed on Ember again. The weed was messing with his sense of time and he wasn’t sure how long he stared back into them. Finally, Ember responded with a quiet, “Thank you,” and ventured a bite of the gelatinous Aether clan dish. The texture of it was utterly peculiar, slightly squishy and slimy, but also a bit sweet with a hint of smokiness. He didn’t dislike it, but he couldn’t see himself craving it either. “Okay, everything tastes amazing except  _ that.” _

Mountain snorted and started laughing.

“Seriously, what even  _ is _ it?” Ember asked, prodding the jiggly mass with his finger.

The tall ghoul’s laugh got even louder, suddenly beyond his control, and Ember laughed along with him until they were both cackling hysterically, clutching their stomachs and unable to stop. Mountain laughed so hard he fell off of the picnic bench, and Ember’s laughter became those silent, wheezing gasps for air. By the time they calmed down, most of the nearby ghouls were watching them in amused confusion. 

Mountain picked himself up off of the ground and stood up, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes from laughing so hard. “Whew, okay, I should head back to the kitchen and make sure we don’t run out of anything too early.”

“Aren’t you going to visit the other clans’ stuff?” Ember asked, partly because he was worried that Mountain wouldn’t get to fully enjoy the festival, and partly because he didn’t want to stop hanging out with him yet.

“I will, but not until a bit later in the day. There’s a lot to oversee here and I want to make sure it all goes smoothly.”

_ Always the dependable one, it seems. _ “Don’t work too hard. Maybe I’ll see you around later then?”

“I hope so!” Mountain answered cheerfully. “Catch you later, Ember.”

_ I think you already caught me…damn.  _

  
WATER   
  
  


With a belly full of food and a head full of fogginess, Ember walked through the trees to get to the Water clan pool. Celebrating some Sloth sounded so nice in his current state; it felt like the alcohol and weed in his system were taking turns with him, despite the large meal he’d eaten. Sitting and relaxing in a pool would give him time to digest and mellow out.

There was a small changing area off to one side where ghouls could store their clothes in little cubbies, with bathing towels for those who were more modest. Ember stripped down, nearly losing his balance when one of his pant legs got caught on his ankle, and shoved his clothes into one of the small cubes. He didn’t need a towel.

Naked and crossfaded, the skinny ghoul slid into the pool. He leaned his head back against the large rocks around the perimeter and allowed his limbs and body to float about him idly. He looked up at the clouds which were changing color in the late afternoon sun, and felt a sense of tranquility settling within him. It was quiet here too. The other ghouls, if they were engaged in conversation, kept their voices low so as to not disrupt anyone else. Ember reached up to run his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes with a contented sigh.

“Hiya Ember, mind if I join you?”

It was Aether.

Ember’s eyes opened and looked over to where Aether was swimming toward him, his large shoulders peeking above the water and the usual cheerful smile on his face. There was a hesitance there though, he kept his distance in case the skinny ghoul refused.

Time seemed to both slow down and speed up as Ember felt the spark of anxiety. Relaxed as he might have been, this was something he’d been dreading, and no amount of placid surroundings or intoxicants could stop the nervousness clenching his stomach. 

_ Can’t keep avoiding him forever, _ he decided, despite his unease.

“Go right ahead,” Ember answered.

The bigger ghoul swam over and settled in right next to him, a bit closer than the skinny ghoul would have preferred. Aether always seemed to want to be just inside his personal bubble. 

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Aether asked. He stretched his arms up over his head and then spread them out across the edge of the pool, behind Ember’s head.

“Yep,” was all he could manage to reply. Ember tried not to look at him.

There was a tense silence. At least, Ember felt tense. He couldn’t be sure about Aether, who rarely ever seemed to be stressed about anything.

Eventually, Aether spoke up again. “Listen, I know things might be a bit… strange between us right now. I’ve been worried about you, but I didn’t want to bother you and figured you needed some space. If you still do, that’s fine. All I want to say is that I still care about you, and I miss you, and I hope we can be friends again.”

Ember’s vision blurred with tears as the impact of Aether’s words hit him harder than any of Logi’s punches ever could. He looked his bandmate in the face finally, but couldn’t form the words to express himself. His lower lip trembled, he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Aether saw him struggling, and offered quietly, “Hug?”

The skinny ghoul nodded, overwhelmed, as the tears began to fall down his face. Aether immediately pulled him into a close embrace, enveloping him in his strong arms and letting Ember cry against his chest. Normally he would have hated such a public display of vulnerability, but he couldn’t bring himself to care in that moment. Besides, Water ghouls were known for being somewhat sappy, so in that respect it wasn’t completely inappropriate at a festival celebrating their clans.

After some time, Ember was able to collect himself. He pulled back a little and Aether loosened his hold on him, but didn’t fully let go, his arms still gently encircling the skinny ghoul.

At last, Ember felt he could speak. “Sorry, I’m just… really glad to still have you as a friend. I’ve missed you too.”

“That’s quite alright, friend. You’re not mad at me?”

“No, if anything I was mad at myself. And I’m sorry for acting the way I did. I could have handled that better.”

“Hush, don’t you fret another second more about it. It’s all over and done with now, yeah? Let’s enjoy this beautiful day.”

“Okay,” Ember agreed, and settled in against Aether’s chest. Together they lounged in the pool, a comfortable silence between them, content with just being close to each other. It wasn’t until the sun began to set that they finally got out of the pool and dried off before going their separate ways.

 

FIRE

 

Ember had saved the best for last: it was time to return to the Fire clan area.

As relaxed as he was from the pool, the moment he set eyes on the fighting pits again, Ember was immediately excited and itching for another good brawl. He surveyed the area, searching for an opponent to challenge. There were many more candidates to choose from this time; although the majority of the crowd seemed to be Fire ghouls still, there were plenty of ghouls from other clans this time around.  _ Fresh blood. _

Cracking his knuckles as he weaved through the crowd surrounding each pit, Ember stopped dead in his tracks. Mountain was standing near the edge of one of the smaller pits, apparently waiting for his turn. The skinny ghoul’s heart began to pound at the mere thought of tussling with the tall ghoul. Ember walked over and nudged the drummer with his elbow.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he said with a smirk.

“Oh hey!” Mountain answered, flashing that wonderful smile of his again.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you to be interested in fighting,” Ember commented.

“Why not? I’m pretty good at hitting things…”

_ As if I wasn’t excited enough already…  _ Ember bit his tongue, not wanting to let on that the drummer’s comment thrilled him in more than one way.

“Fair point. Care to prove it?” The skinny ghoul smirked and gestured toward the pit in front of them, which was just opening up as the current combatants were making their exits.

“Gladly,” Mountain replied. He hopped down into the pit and turned around to walk backward toward the center, watching for Ember to join him.

The lead guitar ghoul dropped down too, and followed his bandmate to the middle of the pit. The nearby ghouls watching them collectively went “Ooooooh,” obviously interested in seeing the two band ghouls fight. Ember stretched his arms across his body, already beginning to feel the rush of adrenaline in his veins. Mountain was still smiling at him.  _ Don’t get distracted, _ Ember told himself. Though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to follow his own advice, not when Mountain was looking at him like  _ that _ and ready to fight… 

Ember made the first move. He barreled into the drummer with one shoulder and tried to knock him down, but Mountain was able to hold his ground. The tall ghoul staggered backward a few paces, gripped Ember’s arms and twisted, intending to throw him off but the skinny ghoul held fast so they both tumbled over into the dirt. They rolled together, both ghouls grappling in an attempt to overpower the other, a mess of limbs squirming around in a cloud of dust.

Mountain managed to pin Ember on his back. The skinny ghoul used his legs to push against him, bashing the drummer in the head with his fist as he tried to gain some distance. Mountain paid him back double, landing two punches to Ember’s cheek, one right after the other, which renewed the pain of his black eye once more. He chuckled in response, which seemed to throw Mountain off guard just long enough for Ember to wrap his legs upward, around the tall ghoul’s torso and over one shoulder, to hold him in place so he could throw another punch to the other side of the drummer’s head. Mountain took the punch easily, hardly fazed. He used Ember’s hold on him to his advantage; he stood up, lifting the skinny ghoul off the ground and then quickly slammed him down back to the dirt.

Ember groaned from the impact, and the rush of endorphins that followed to meet that pain had him reeling. While he was dazed, Mountain delivered another blow, knuckles crashing against his mouth. Ember tasted blood.  _ Mmm… He’s good at this, _ he thought, and it thrilled him. And by that point, Ember was pretty sure his bandmate could tell exactly how much it thrilled him; in their current position, there was no way Mountain wouldn’t notice that the skinny ghoul was hard, or that his face was flushed in a way that wasn’t simply the result of taking a few punches. However, the drummer gave no acknowledgement of Ember’s excitement, and their fight carried on.

Ember adjusted his leg lock so that Mountain’s neck was being squeezed between them, and pulled the tall ghoul down into the dirt with him. The drummer struggled to break free of his hold, and finally slid out from Ember’s legs and rolled away to get back on his feet. The skinny ghoul stood up too and spat, the blood from his mouth making a dark spot in the dirt. He eyed Mountain as he readied his fists, and the tall ghoul did the same. Ember moved in, quick as ever, and gave him a swift uppercut, but again Mountain remained sturdy as ever and came back at him with blow after blow. Where Logi had been slow because of his bulk, the drummer easily matched Ember’s speed, and he had the reach and strength to back it up. Though Ember kept landing hits, Mountain just kept at it, showing no signs of fatigue. Ember however… the skinny ghoul felt his strength waning, each punch felt sloppier than the last, and his feet became more and more unsteady as he tried to dodge. 

All it took was one more solid hit; Mountain’s fist collided with Ember’s temple, and his head whipped to the side so fast he thought his neck might snap. The skinny ghoul fell to the dirt, and everything went dark.

The first thing Ember heard when he came to was the distant murmur of the crowd. Someone was patting his cheek lightly, and then he heard Mountain’s voice, “Ember? You awake? Ember?” The skinny ghoul opened his eyes slowly, and looked up with a smirk at the drummer crouching over him.

“Did you  _ really _ fucking knock me out?”

“Afraid so. You okay? Can you stand?”

“Let’s find out…” Ember curled up slowly, at least able to sit up on his own. The crowd of ghouls around the pit started clapping and cheering, and he raised one hand to acknowledge their support. He carefully got to his feet, with only minimal assistance from the tall ghoul at his side. Ember felt a little wobbly, but otherwise fine. Mountain escorted him to the edge of the pit, where several ghouls reached down to help pull Ember out. Mountain climbed out and joined him as the next pair of ghouls took their place in the pit and got ready to brawl.

“That was a good fight,” the tall ghoul said with a smile.

“Agreed,” Ember answered. As he looked up at Mountain, admiring the couple of bruises he’d managed to ignite across the drummer’s face, desire still simmering inside him, he felt tempted to ask him to come to the Lust tent… but then he remembered he was already supposed to meet Rain.  _ Don’t get greedy, the Air ghouls have that covered. _ Instead, Ember patted the tall ghoul’s back and stepped away toward the tent. Part of him still hoped Mountain might follow, but he wasn’t surprised when the drummer didn’t.   
  
Even before he’d entered the tent, Ember could hear how absolutely hedonistic it was inside. So many voices were calling out in pleasure, moaning and growling and screaming. His body shivered in anticipation and he stepped through the opening in the red linen. The smell of sex and pheromones was thick in the air, and there were  _ so many bodies _ in every direction he looked, interlocked and writhing against each other, hands grasping and legs quivering and hips thrusting. He almost just wanted to stand there and watch it all unfold before him, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist joining in. He made his way through the crowded tent, stepping carefully around those who’d opted to simply fuck on the floor, since every mattress was full to the brim with ghouls and ghoulettes going at it.

Picking one ghoul out of an orgy seemed like an impossible task, but Ember was determined to find the bassist somewhere in the throng. As he wandered through, an occasional hand would reach out to caress him or grope him, inviting him in, but he continued his search. Having thoroughly scanned the center ring of mattresses, Ember started to walk the outer perimeter where the dividers broke things up into more private areas.

Not wanting to intrude, he kept his glances as minimal as possible, only looking in long enough to see if Rain was in any of the private sections. He was a bit surprised to find that some sections were yet unoccupied, but the night was still young. Ember chewed his lip, starting to wonder if maybe the lanky ghoul wasn’t here at all.  _ I guess he didn’t say where to meet him, just ‘find me at the festival’... should I try calling his name? _ He didn’t want to seem needy or too attached. 

He was about to shrug it off and find someone else, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a mouth on his neck. Ember turned and saw Rain, hazel eyes heavy-lidded with lust, and the skinny ghoul sighed as he felt the bassist press his body flush against his back, wrapping his other arm across Ember’s chest to hold him in place.

“I was looking for you… “ The lead guitar ghoul confessed. He leaned heavily on Rain.

“Oh you were? We were looking for you too,” the bassist answered, his lips still pressed against Ember’s neck as he spoke.

“We?”

Multi stepped out from behind Rain, circled Ember with a devilish grin and pressed against his front, then locked his mouth onto the free side of the skinny ghoul’s neck. Ember let out a shuddery breath as hot waves of desire crashed through him like a boiling sea. He made a small noise in his throat as the two naked ghouls squeezed him between them.

“We’ve been talking, and Multi and I both agree that you deserve something nice,” Rain said as his hand shifted over to lightly toy with one nipple ring, which made Ember shudder. “We want to help you forget your problems for a while…”

Ember let his head fall back a bit and swallowed hard. He’d been through so much lately. Not wanting to get teary again, he stared up at the sloped ceiling of the tent and focused on the physical sensations of that moment: Multi and Rain kissing his neck, their hard cocks pressing against both sides of him, their hands roaming his body.

“What if you two  _ are _ my problems?” Ember asked, not intending to sound mean, but it was kind of true; each of them had caused him a good amount of trouble.

Rain pulled his mouth away and Ember looked over his shoulder at him, their faces very close.

“You won’t have any more problems from me, as long as you don’t catch feelings. As for you and Multi, that’s between you two.”

Ember turned his head toward the other ghoul. “Multi? We good?”

Multi met his gaze. “Yeah, we’re good.” The wistful tone in his voice was not lost on Ember, but he still believed him. “Let’s just have a good time, yeah? Who knows how long we’ll be on the surface. We should enjoy it while it lasts…”  _ That’s a good point. _ At any time, the ghouls could be dismissed by the clergy and sent packing. Best to focus on the present.

Multi and Rain gave each other a look and nodded, and then Multi grabbed Ember’s wrist and pulled him along, behind one of the dividers, so the three of them could be alone (though the divider did nothing to muffle the illicit sounds of the main area). Multi turned to face him again and sunk to his knees on the floor. He looked up at Ember while his hands started to undo the skinny ghoul’s jeans. Meanwhile, Rain grabbed the bottom of Ember’s t-shirt and pulled it up slowly; Ember lifted his arms and allowed the bassist to remove it. Rain’s arm resumed its previous position, holding Ember against him and fiddling with one of his piercings. Ember was already breathing heavily at the mere thought of what the two ghouls had planned for him.

Rain’s mouth shifted from his neck to his ear as he asked, “So how do you want it? Nice and slow? Or hard and fast?”

Ember immediately recognized that he’d said the same thing to Multi, and gave the ghoul on his knees an incredulous look. “Do you tell him  _ everything?” _

Multi just grinned up at him and shrugged as he pulled Ember’s jeans down so he could step out of them. As Ember did so, he wondered just how much Rain had heard about their most intimate moments. It didn’t matter much now that Multi’s hand began to stroke his cock.

The skinny ghoul turned his head back toward the bassist. Normally, he would have chosen hard and fast, but after everything he’d been through, and after having been knocked out in the pit only a short time ago, Ember wanted to be treated with care.

“Nice and slow… please,” Ember said quietly. He felt very exposed, suddenly, not mere physical nakedness but in being so emotionally naked. Both ghouls had seen him at some of his most vulnerable moments, and even if this was only physical comfort, their acknowledgement of his suffering and their desire to help him feel better in some way was intensely moving. The skinny ghoul shuddered a little, and Rain’s arm squeezed him a little tighter across his chest.

“As you wish,” Rain replied, kissing a trail down Ember’s neck and across the top of his shoulder. “Multi, you heard the ghoul, why don’t you treat him to that nice mouth of yours, hm?”

“With pleasure.” Multi brought Ember’s cock to his mouth, brushing the tip across his lips and tongue so gently it made the guitarist whimper. Then he took Ember into his mouth and started a languid rhythm, savoring every bit of him, looking up at him with a lustful compassion. Ember sighed and combed his fingers through Multi’s hair.

Rain’s hold on Ember was released temporarily as he stepped aside to get some lube from the nearby bucket, but he wasn’t gone long. Soon, a slippery finger slid inside the skinny ghoul’s ass and began to stretch him while Rain’s mouth resumed kissing along his shoulders and the back of his neck. By the time Rain added a second and third finger, Ember was panting, his skin flushed all over from the overload of sensations. Multi pulled his mouth away, but continued stroking him with his hand.

“You alright, Ember?” Multi asked softly. “I can ease up if you want.”

“Yeah, I’m fine… it’s just a lot all at once and,  _ ahh—” _ Ember’s words stopped short when Rain pulled his fingers out. He whined a little, and looked back over his shoulder at the bassist, who was preparing himself. Once Rain was ready, he took hold of Ember’s hip and pulled him back slowly onto his lubed-up cock, pushing inside him little by little, so slowly it made the skinny ghoul moan. When he was fully inside, Rain kept one hand on Ember’s hip and the other arm pressed across his chest once more, holding the skinny ghoul steady against himself.

“We’ll take care of you, Ember, just enjoy yourself,” Rain whispered, his breath hot against Ember’s ear.

Ember nodded and squeezed Rain’s thigh as he began to thrust into him at an easy pace. The skinny ghoul sighed and let his head fall back as Multi resumed sucking him off in a simpatico rhythm with Rain’s movements. It was so much simultaneous pleasure, all Ember could do was breathe heavily and moan and run his fingers through Multi’s hair and lean back on Rain while his hips moved back and forth to meet each of them in turn.

It wasn’t long before Ember felt his pleasure nearing its peak; heat was coursing through his body, coiling in his gut, and his legs threatened to give out on him but Rain held him steady while the lanky ghoul continued to fuck him. Every exhale became a moan, and Ember’s fingers gripped Multi’s hair a little harder, and his other hand squeezed Rain’s hand on his hip.

“I’m gonna fucking cum,” Ember announced, his voice shaky. Multi focused his mouth on the tip of his cock, his hand stroking slowly, while Rain’s thrusts dragged in and out of him and his hand crept up to lightly grasp his neck.

“You want this?” Rain whispered to him, squeezing gently.

“Oh fuck, yes, please,” Ember mewled. 

Rain carefully applied pressure against the skinny ghoul’s pulse on either side with his fingertips, cutting off just enough circulation to make Ember’s face flush even more. Meanwhile every thrust and stroke were bringing him closer and closer to the edge, until ecstasy overtook him at last in a powerful wave crashing through his entire being. Rain released the hold on his neck, and the resulting rush of returning blood flow mixed with the intensity of his orgasm made Ember cry out a long, wailing moan as he came down Multi’s throat. Rain’s arm around Ember’s torso kept him on his feet, otherwise the skinny ghoul likely would have keeled over onto Multi from the overwhelming flood of endorphins. 

Once Ember was fully spent, Multi finally pulled his mouth away, a long strand of saliva mixed with cum connecting them for one more brief moment. Rain pulled out of the skinny ghoul and maintained his hold on him while guiding him over to the mattress that they’d all decided to completely ignore. Ember collapsed backward onto it, his breath ragged and his skin coated in a sheen of sweat. The other ghouls joined him on the mattress and ran soothing hands over his stomach and chest, down his arms, through his hair.

“Thank you,” Ember finally managed, once his breathing had calmed a bit. He looked at each of his bandmates in turn and gave them a satisfied smile. It was only then that he realized Rain was still hard, and Multi hadn’t even been touched. “Shit, neither of you… I feel like I should—” He didn’t get to finish his thought before Rain placed a finger on his lips to stop him.

“You’re not obligated to do anything in return,” Rain said.

“Yeah, this was for you, Ember,” Multi chimed in.

“So why don’t you relax, and we can entertain each other. Can’t we, Multi?”

“Mmm, we sure can. You wanna watch us?”

Ember glanced back and forth between them, already picturing it. He nodded and bit his lip in anticipation.

That was all the confirmation they needed apparently, because in no time at all Multi clambered over him to straddle Rain, who laid on his back beside Ember. As the two ghouls got into position, Multi gave Ember a smirk and added, “This is kind of a big deal, you know. Normally he hates being watched.”

Rain turned his head toward the skinny ghoul. “It’s true,” he admitted. “Guess you’re an exception.”

Ember grinned at that. “Well then I feel honored. Don’t hold back on my account.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Rain responded with a cool grin before returning his attention to the ghoul on top of him. He reached down to cup Multi’s ass with both hands, spreading him open as the bassist’s cock nudged against him, impatient. Multi gasped a little, then bent over to bite the lanky ghoul’s neck in playful retaliation, making him groan and push his hips up more.

Seeing an opportunity to at least help, Ember got up and retrieved the small bottle of lube Rain had used earlier, then dispensed some onto his fingers and returned to the mattress. He knelt next to Multi and inserted one lubed finger into him, causing him to hum against the bassist’s neck.

“I thought we told you to relax,” Rain commented, though he didn’t sound upset in the slightest.

“Yeah, I’m bad at that,” Ember replied. He continued to prod and stretch Multi with one hand while the other stroked Rain’s cock at a leisurely pace, just enough to keep him good and hard in the meantime. He knew Multi was ready when he’d begun making those lovely little whimpering sounds that sounded so like his own. He helped guide Rain’s cock to its destination, then went back to laying down beside them so he could enjoy the scenery more comfortably.

Multi sat back up as he lowered himself down onto Rain’s cock, and they both sighed in tandem. After a few more moments Multi began rolling his hips in his signature way, and Rain thrust up to meet him in perfect unison. The way they moved together made Ember wonder just how long these two had been fucking while the rest of the band thought they were simply good friends. Or maybe it was only Ember who’d been completely blind to it. Whatever the case, it was clear the two ghouls knew exactly what the other wanted without having to speak a word. Multi leaned back on his hands, changing the angle, his long erection flopping obscenely as he started rolling his hips faster, more urgently. Rain closed his eyes and pressed his lips together tightly, perhaps trying to hold back his vocalizations. Both ghouls had their head tilted back with obvious gratification.

The bassist opened his hazel eyes and looked at Ember. “Come here,” he beckoned. All too eager to contribute in some way, the skinny ghoul got closer. Rain slid his hand behind Ember’s neck and pulled him in for a searing kiss, all the while not breaking his rhythm with Multi. The guitarist kissed back with just as much fervor, happy once again to express his gratitude in some way.

“No fucking way!” Multi exclaimed.

Ember broke the kiss to look at him, worried some sort of drama was about to unfold.

Multi was still rolling his hips, and smiling like he’d heard the funniest joke ever. “Sorry, don’t mind me… It’s just that Downpour here doesn’t normally like to kiss people, that’s all.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Rain said, sounding serious but his smirk told Ember that this kind of exchange was par for the course with them. The bassist thrust up a little harder, which made Multi gasp. Rain looked at Ember and added, “He is right though. I usually don’t.”

“You really must be special, Ember. First you get to watch, now you get kisses…” Multi teased.

Ember grinned and turned toward Multi, kneeling beside him again. “Sounds like someone might be jealous. You want kisses too, is that it?”

“Well, if you’re offering…”

The skinny ghoul did kiss him then, deep and sloppy and full of tongue. While they kissed and Multi’s eyes were closed, Ember eyed Rain, glanced down at Multi’s cock, then back at Rain. The bassist nodded. As they continued to make out, and as Multi continued to ride Rain like some kind of slutty jockey, Ember started stroking Multi’s cock until the ghoul was moaning into his mouth and the movement of his hips became more erratic. Ember stroked faster, and Rain thrusted harder, jolting Multi on top of him with each upward buck of his hips. Multi broke off their kiss to focus on chasing his pleasure, rutting onto Rain like it could be their last night on the surface. Then all at once, Multi moaned and his cum spilled over Ember’s hand and onto Rain below, who was grunting as he met his own climax inside Multi. 

Satisfied with at least having assisted them, Ember laid back down next to Rain and licked Multi’s cum off his hand. Multi laid down on the other side of the skinny ghoul, so he was once again sandwiched between them, and the three of them curled up together on the mattress.

“Okay,  _ now _ I feel better,” Ember said.

“Mmm, me too,” Multi cooed, nuzzling his nose against his neck. “How about you, Rain?” 

The bassist didn’t answer. The other two looked over to see that the lanky ghoul was sound asleep, breathing quietly and still as the dead.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back up and ready to go for the next round,” Multi said confidently.

“Next round?”

 

EPILOGUE

 

Daylight was just starting to break by the time Ember returned to his own room. Contrary to the night before, although he was alone, he didn’t feel lonely. He crawled into bed and smiled to himself, recalling the day’s events, which had served as a poignant reminder that he had several good friends who cared about him (each in their own way), and he had no reason to feel unloved or incomplete. He was filled with a sense of gratitude, and a deep satisfaction that burned brightly within his very soul. He felt hopeful for the future, unbound by his past, and, for once, content with the present.

_ It was a good day. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the end of this story, but it's NOT the end of the series :3 I absolutely cannot WAIT to write the next one!!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading (and for your patience!) 🖤🖤🖤Follow me on tumblr @copias-gloves or twitter @copiasgloves for updates!


End file.
